---
slug: "Work"
name: "Work"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Work#f0c3"
sema_id: "sema:Work#mh:SHA-256:f0c3ba2d663c900244d2ed814ed3682c56a867aa32bc3c4dfd1b19fe311aa2c6"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Work/
related: ["Task","Act","Budget","AgentProtocol","Bubble","Canary","Care","Delegate","Goal","Loop","Prioritize","Solution","TimeboxThink","EntropyPump"]
---

# Work

The application of effort to reduce entropy

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

The primitive representation of directed effort. It represents the expenditure of resources (Compute, Time, Energy) to transform a [Task](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Task.md) from an 'Open' state to a 'Solved' state (reducing local entropy). Work is the bridge between Intent (thinking) and Reality ([Act](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Act.md)). Work is validated against an acceptance criteria.

## Invariants

- Cost: Work always consumes resources (Time/Tokens > 0).
- Directionality: Work must be vector-aligned with a Goal (otherwise it is just 'Heat').

## Failure modes

- Thrashing: Expending resources without making progress toward the goal.
- Burnout: Exhausting the [Budget](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Budget.md) before the task is complete.
- Busywork: Performing valid actions that do not contribute to the objective function.

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "effort_cost"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "previous_hash": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "State before work"
    },
    "new_hash": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "State after work"
    },
    "effort_cost": {
      "type": "object",
      "description": "Resources consumed (tokens, time)"
    },
    "timestamp": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Task](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Task.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Act](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Act.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Budget](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Budget.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [AgentProtocol](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/AgentProtocol.md) (Society; References)
- [Bubble](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Bubble.md) (Mind; References)
- [Canary](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Canary.md) (Society; References)
- [Care](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Care.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Delegate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Delegate.md) (Society; References)
- [Goal](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Goal.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Loop](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Loop.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Prioritize](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Prioritize.md) (Mind; References)
- [Solution](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Solution.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [TimeboxThink](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/TimeboxThink.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Work#mh:SHA-256:f0c3ba2d663c900244d2ed814ed3682c56a867aa32bc3c4dfd1b19fe311aa2c6`
- Ref: `Work#f0c3`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Work#mh:SHA-256:aaad0ca428ad22dd8f5941f56b4425ddf62180752cfd6d5d8145419c8a6ac90b`
  - `sema:Work#mh:SHA-256:e574aab6ce5d94ab4e9acb6d92531441f46ff05ed1c2ba0a99e0d08b59f30523`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Work/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Work)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Work.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)