No take, only throw

The feudal compact had three parts: investiture, domain, tribute. The lord grants you a domain — territory you are responsible for and have authority over. You owe service up the chain. The compact runs both directions. That's the deal.

Serfdom is the compact running one way. You owe service. The land isn't yours. The decisions aren't yours. The outcomes are still yours to answer for.

The medieval world had a word for the difference. We don't. So we keep rediscovering it.

Software organizations describe roles as fiefdoms. Product engineer. Owns the domain. Makes decisions. Accountable for outcomes. The pitch is enfeoffment — you're being granted a piece of territory to govern.

What gets delivered is often serfdom. Responsible for outcomes. No authority over the domain. No resources to match the scope. When the lord decides to throw the ball somewhere else, you fetch it from there too.

The "alignment conversation" — asking for autonomy, clarity on decision rights, resources that match the scope — is structurally a petition for enfeoffment. You're asking to be granted the domain the title implies.

Sometimes the grant is real. More often, the title was the whole offer.