diff --git a/.pi/settings.json b/.pi/settings.json
index 70227e7..ebc6304 100644
--- a/.pi/settings.json
+++ b/.pi/settings.json
@@ -6,5 +6,7 @@
     "npm:pi-markdown-preview",
     "npm:@aliou/pi-processes",
     "npm:pi-zotero"
-  ]
+  ],
+  "quietStartup": true,
+  "collapseChangelog": true
 }
diff --git a/.pi/themes/feynman.json b/.pi/themes/feynman.json
index 747b0a7..b034844 100644
--- a/.pi/themes/feynman.json
+++ b/.pi/themes/feynman.json
@@ -3,24 +3,28 @@
   "name": "feynman",
   "vars": {
     "ink": "#d9d3c7",
-    "paper": "#1f1c19",
-    "paper2": "#26221e",
-    "paper3": "#2f2a25",
-    "stone": "#8c8378",
-    "ash": "#6c655d",
+    "paper": "#181614",
+    "paper2": "#1c1917",
+    "paper3": "#221f1c",
+    "panel": "#27231f",
+    "stone": "#9a9084",
+    "ash": "#6f675e",
+    "darkAsh": "#4f4a44",
     "oxide": "#b76e4c",
     "gold": "#d0a85c",
     "sage": "#88a88a",
     "teal": "#7aa6a1",
     "rose": "#c97b84",
     "violet": "#a98dc6",
-    "selection": "#3a342e"
+    "selection": "#302b27",
+    "successBg": "#1d2520",
+    "errorBg": "#2b1f21"
   },
   "colors": {
     "accent": "gold",
-    "border": "ash",
+    "border": "stone",
     "borderAccent": "gold",
-    "borderMuted": "ash",
+    "borderMuted": "darkAsh",
     "success": "sage",
     "error": "rose",
     "warning": "oxide",
@@ -30,16 +34,16 @@
     "thinkingText": "stone",
 
     "selectedBg": "selection",
-    "userMessageBg": "paper3",
+    "userMessageBg": "panel",
     "userMessageText": "ink",
-    "customMessageBg": "paper3",
+    "customMessageBg": "panel",
     "customMessageText": "ink",
     "customMessageLabel": "violet",
     "toolPendingBg": "paper2",
-    "toolSuccessBg": "#243028",
-    "toolErrorBg": "#362725",
+    "toolSuccessBg": "successBg",
+    "toolErrorBg": "errorBg",
     "toolTitle": "gold",
-    "toolOutput": "ink",
+    "toolOutput": "stone",
 
     "mdHeading": "gold",
     "mdLink": "teal",
@@ -66,7 +70,7 @@
     "syntaxOperator": "ink",
     "syntaxPunctuation": "stone",
 
-    "thinkingOff": "ash",
+    "thinkingOff": "darkAsh",
     "thinkingMinimal": "stone",
     "thinkingLow": "teal",
     "thinkingMedium": "gold",
@@ -76,8 +80,8 @@
     "bashMode": "oxide"
   },
   "export": {
-    "pageBg": "#171411",
-    "cardBg": "#211d19",
-    "infoBg": "#312821"
+    "pageBg": "#141210",
+    "cardBg": "#1c1917",
+    "infoBg": "#27221d"
   }
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8a781bf..d54b9e3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ It keeps the useful parts of a coding agent:
 But it biases the runtime toward research work:
 - literature review
 - paper lookup
-- replication planning
-- experiment design
-- writing notes and reports
+- source comparison
+- research memo writing
+- paper and report drafting
+- replication planning when relevant
 
 The primary paper backend is `@companion-ai/alpha-hub` and your alphaXiv account.
 The rest of the workflow is augmented through a curated `.pi/settings.json` package stack.
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@ Feynman loads a lean research stack from [.pi/settings.json](/Users/advaitpaliwa
 - `@aliou/pi-processes` for long-running experiments and log tails
 - `pi-zotero` for citation-library workflows
 
+The default expectation is source-grounded outputs with explicit `Sources` sections containing direct URLs.
+
 ## Layout
 
 ```text
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 80d2d5d..25f0090 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ function normalizeFeynmanSettings(
 		settings.defaultThinkingLevel = defaultThinkingLevel;
 	}
 	settings.theme = "feynman";
+	settings.quietStartup = true;
+	settings.collapseChangelog = true;
 
 	const authStorage = AuthStorage.create(authPath);
 	const modelRegistry = new ModelRegistry(authStorage);