Living Glossary

What language do I need in order to actually see Governance by Signal clearly enough to use it?

This is not a dictionary. It is a map of the territory. Each term names something real that you've probably felt but couldn't point at. When a team can say "that's velocity theater" or "we need a stop rule," they can name what's happening, and change it.

Start here

Pick a path. We'll narrow the page to just those terms so you can read without hunting.

of terms

How to use this language

Vocabulary only matters when it shows up in real rooms. Here is where to put these words to work.

In meetings

When a topic keeps looping, say "this is meeting gravity, let's move it to a card." Replace debate with a shared object.

In decision cards

Label every claim either "proof link" or "assumption." Make the uncertainty visible before the decision lands.

In pilot reviews

Ask three questions: What did the stop rule watch? What did the proof link show? What's the honest signal?

In retrospectives

Name the pattern, not the person. "That was scope inflation" is a repair; "you overreached" is blame theater.

In builder conversations

Treat decision cards as interface contracts and proof links as observability hooks. The vocabulary translates.

With AI agents

Give agents the ledger, not just the decision. They inherit not only the what but the why, grounding and governance together.

A shared vocabulary doesn't just describe reality, it changes what a team can see, name, and correct. Every term here is a tool for interrupting patterns that would otherwise run on autopilot.