The principal-agent problem describes a governance structure where one party (the principal) delegates work to another (the agent), creating information asymmetry: the agent knows more about their own actions than the principal can observe.
In conventional project management, this structure is pervasive: a manager (principal) defines objectives, and workers (agents) execute them. Planning tools (Gantt charts, sprint backlogs, standups) serve the principal’s need for visibility and control over the agent’s behavior.
The semiotic project management specification rejects this structure. Goals arise from the system’s own closure pressure, not from a principal’s directives. Agents select work by leverage, not by assignment.