diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0312477..af073d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ From Bash, bootstrap the profile with one command:
 ```
 
 The bootstrap is safe to rerun. It installs the unpinned top-level Pi package sources,
-merges only SecStack-managed package entries and shell-path configuration into the
-SecStack profile's `settings.json` and creates a profile-local Python environment. It links the
+merges only SecStack-managed package entries, shell-path configuration, and `quietStartup`
+preference into the SecStack profile's `settings.json` and creates a profile-local Python environment. It links the
 profile's `SYSTEM.md` to the installed SecStack package, so `pi update --extensions` updates the
 research-agent identity and prompt envelope. It does not install coding-task guidance or link
 global `AGENTS.md` or `APPEND_SYSTEM.md` files into the profile.
diff --git a/context/MAP.md b/context/MAP.md
index f8130f8..b482163 100644
--- a/context/MAP.md
+++ b/context/MAP.md
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@ The bootstrap configures the isolated profile at `~/.pi/secstack-agent`. Its
 - `agent-browser`.
 
 Pi installs and updates each source independently. The bootstrap manages only those package
-entries, the profile's Pi-managed shell path, the profile-local Python environment, and a
-relative `SYSTEM.md` symlink into the installed SecStack package. The system-prompt-viewer
-package is the sole owner of the `/system-context` overlay. SecStack's
+entries, the profile's Pi-managed shell path, the `quietStartup` preference, the profile-local
+Python environment, and a relative `SYSTEM.md` symlink into the installed SecStack package. The
+system-prompt-viewer package is the sole owner of the `/system-context` overlay. SecStack's
 `restore-tool-envelope` extension restores Pi's live tool snippets and guidelines after
 `SYSTEM.md` replaces Pi's coding-agent identity. Its `startup-header` extension replaces
-Pi's built-in header with a responsive, theme-adaptive SecStack research mark. Coding-task
-guidance files are not linked, and the filtered `pi-setup` package contributes no skills,
-including `repo-nav` and `bootstrap-docs`. Research runs in the primary Pi context;
-no sub-agent package is installed. Authentication, model selection, provider configuration,
-sessions, and unrelated settings remain profile-local and untouched.
+Pi's built-in header with a responsive, theme-adaptive SecStack research mark and interactive
+research pipeline. Coding-task guidance files are not linked, and the filtered `pi-setup` package
+contributes no skills, including `repo-nav` and `bootstrap-docs`. Research runs in the primary
+Pi context; no sub-agent package is installed. Authentication, model selection, provider
+configuration, sessions, and unrelated settings remain profile-local and untouched.
 
 ## Skill internals
 
diff --git a/extensions/startup-header.ts b/extensions/startup-header.ts
index 1e0f183..bc99cdd 100644
--- a/extensions/startup-header.ts
+++ b/extensions/startup-header.ts
@@ -4,85 +4,163 @@ import type {
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { truncateToWidth } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 
-const WIDE_HEADER_WIDTH = 50;
-const COMPACT_HEADER_WIDTH = 38;
+const WIDE_HEADER_WIDTH = 42;
+const COMPACT_HEADER_WIDTH = 34;
 
 function fit(lines: string[], width: number): string[] {
   return lines.map((line) => truncateToWidth(line, width, ""));
 }
 
-function renderWide(theme: Theme, width: number): string[] {
-  const border = (text: string) => theme.fg("borderMuted", text);
-  const ink = (text: string) => theme.fg("text", text);
-  const copy = (text: string) => theme.fg("muted", text);
+function renderWide(theme: Theme, width: number, showPipeline: boolean): string[] {
+  const g = (text: string) => theme.fg("success", text);
+  const gold = (text: string) => theme.fg("warning", text);
   const mark = (text: string) => theme.fg("accent", text);
+  const ink = (text: string) => theme.bold(theme.fg("text", text));
+  const tree = (text: string) => theme.fg("dim", text);
+  const copy = (text: string) => theme.fg("muted", text);
 
-  return fit(
-    [
-      "",
-      border("┌─────────────────────┐"),
-      `${border("│")} ${ink(theme.bold("FORM 10-K · ITEM 7"))} ${border("◢│")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━    ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┏")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━         ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┃")}     ${ink(theme.bold("S E C S T A C K"))}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${mark("███████████████")}     ${border("│")}${mark("━━┫━━")}  ${mark(theme.bold("EVIDENCE → JUDGMENT"))}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━   ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┃")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━━        ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┗")}`,
-      border("└─────────────────────┘"),
-      "",
-    ],
-    Math.min(width, WIDE_HEADER_WIDTH),
-  );
+  const corner = `${g("[")}${gold("$")}${g("]")}`;
+  const billTop = `${g("╔═")}${corner}${g("════════════════")}${corner}${g("═╗")}`;
+  const billMid = `${g("║")}        ${ink("SECSTACK")}        ${g("║")}`;
+  const billBot = `${g("╚═")}${corner}${g("════════════════")}${corner}${g("═╝")}`;
+
+  const lines = [
+    "",
+    `      ${mark("▄█▄")}`,
+    `    ${mark("┌─────┐")}    ${billTop}`,
+    `    ${mark("│ ")}${gold("█ █")}${mark(" │")}    ${billMid}`,
+    `   ${mark("┌┴─────┴┐")}   ${billBot}`,
+    `  ${mark("▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀")}`,
+  ];
+
+  if (showPipeline) {
+    if (width >= 77) {
+      lines.push(
+        "",
+        `  ${tree("Research Pipeline:")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${gold("[SIGNALS]")}     ${copy("Insider clusters · 13D blocks · Market screens · Themes")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdCode", "[EDGAR]")}       ${copy("10-K/Q/8-K · XBRL financials · 13F holders · Proxies")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${mark("[MARKET]")}      ${copy("Live quotes · Peer comps · Trailing returns · Transcripts")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdHeading", "[ANALYSIS]")}    ${copy("Normalized FCFF · Reverse DCF / EPV · Moats · Pre-mortem")}`,
+        `  ${tree("└─ ")}${theme.fg("syntaxType", "[VIC PITCH]")}   ${copy("Norbert Lou VIC style · Hard arithmetic · Falsification")}`,
+      );
+    } else {
+      lines.push(
+        "",
+        `  ${tree("Research Pipeline:")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${gold("[SIGNALS]")}   ${copy("Insider clusters · 13Ds · Screens")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdCode", "[EDGAR]")}     ${copy("10-K/Q/8-K · XBRL · 13F holders")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${mark("[MARKET]")}    ${copy("Quotes · Peer comps · Transcripts")}`,
+        `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdHeading", "[ANALYSIS]")}  ${copy("Normalized FCFF · DCF · Pre-mortem")}`,
+        `  ${tree("└─ ")}${theme.fg("syntaxType", "[VIC PITCH]")} ${copy("Norbert Lou VIC pitch · Math")}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  lines.push("");
+  return fit(lines, width);
 }
 
-function renderCompact(theme: Theme, width: number): string[] {
-  const border = (text: string) => theme.fg("borderMuted", text);
-  const ink = (text: string) => theme.fg("text", text);
-  const copy = (text: string) => theme.fg("muted", text);
+function renderCompact(theme: Theme, width: number, showPipeline: boolean): string[] {
+  const g = (text: string) => theme.fg("success", text);
+  const gold = (text: string) => theme.fg("warning", text);
   const mark = (text: string) => theme.fg("accent", text);
+  const ink = (text: string) => theme.bold(theme.fg("text", text));
+  const tree = (text: string) => theme.fg("dim", text);
+  const copy = (text: string) => theme.fg("muted", text);
 
-  return fit(
-    [
-      "",
-      `${border("┌───────────────┐")}  ${ink(theme.bold("SECSTACK"))}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${ink(theme.bold("10-K · ITEM 7"))} ${border("◢│")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━   ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┓")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${mark("██████████")}    ${border("│")}${mark("━━┫")}`,
-      `${border("│")} ${copy("━━━━━━━━━━━━ ")} ${border("│")}  ${mark("┛")}`,
-      `${border("└───────────────┘")}  ${mark("EVIDENCE → JUDGMENT")}`,
+  const corner = `${g("[")}${gold("$")}${g("]")}`;
+  const billTop = `${g("╔")}${corner}${g("═══════════")}${corner}${g("╗")}`;
+  const billMid = `${g("║")}    ${ink("SECSTACK")}    ${g("║")}`;
+  const billBot = `${g("╚")}${corner}${g("═══════════")}${corner}${g("╝")}`;
+
+  const lines = [
+    "",
+    `      ${mark("▄█▄")}`,
+    `    ${mark("┌─────┐")}   ${billTop}`,
+    `    ${mark("│ ")}${gold("█ █")}${mark(" │")}   ${billMid}`,
+    `   ${mark("┌┴─────┴┐")}  ${billBot}`,
+    `  ${mark("▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀")}`,
+  ];
+
+  if (showPipeline) {
+    lines.push(
       "",
-    ],
-    Math.min(width, COMPACT_HEADER_WIDTH),
-  );
+      `  ${tree("Research Pipeline:")}`,
+      `  ${tree("├─ ")}${gold("[SIGNALS]")}   ${copy("Insiders · 13Ds · Screens")}`,
+      `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdCode", "[EDGAR]")}     ${copy("10-K/Q · XBRL · 13F")}`,
+      `  ${tree("├─ ")}${mark("[MARKET]")}    ${copy("Quotes · Comps · Calls")}`,
+      `  ${tree("├─ ")}${theme.fg("mdHeading", "[ANALYSIS]")}  ${copy("FCFF · DCF · Moats")}`,
+      `  ${tree("└─ ")}${theme.fg("syntaxType", "[VIC PITCH]")} ${copy("Norbert Lou pitch")}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  lines.push("");
+  return fit(lines, width);
 }
 
-function renderNarrow(theme: Theme, width: number): string[] {
-  const ink = (text: string) => theme.fg("text", text);
-  const mark = (text: string) => theme.fg("accent", text);
+function renderNarrow(theme: Theme, width: number, showPipeline: boolean): string[] {
+  const g = (text: string) => theme.fg("success", text);
+  const gold = (text: string) => theme.fg("warning", text);
+  const ink = (text: string) => theme.bold(theme.fg("text", text));
+  const copy = (text: string) => theme.fg("muted", text);
+  const tree = (text: string) => theme.fg("dim", text);
 
-  return fit(
-    [
-      "",
-      ink(theme.bold("SECSTACK")),
-      `${mark("▰")} ${ink("10-K · ITEM 7")} ${mark("→")} ${mark(theme.bold("JUDGMENT"))}`,
+  const corner = `${g("[")}${gold("$")}${g("]")}`;
+  const lines = [
+    "",
+    `${corner} ${ink("SECSTACK")} ${corner}`,
+    copy("Bottom-Up Equity Research"),
+  ];
+
+  if (showPipeline) {
+    lines.push(
       "",
-    ],
-    width,
-  );
+      tree("• Signals & Discovery"),
+      tree("• EDGAR Filings & 13F"),
+      tree("• Market & Transcripts"),
+      tree("• Bottom-Up Valuation"),
+      tree("• Norbert Lou VIC Pitch"),
+    );
+  }
+
+  lines.push("");
+  return fit(lines, width);
 }
 
-export function renderStartupHeader(theme: Theme, width: number): string[] {
-  if (width >= WIDE_HEADER_WIDTH) return renderWide(theme, width);
-  if (width >= COMPACT_HEADER_WIDTH) return renderCompact(theme, width);
-  return renderNarrow(theme, width);
+export function renderStartupHeader(
+  theme: Theme,
+  width: number,
+  showPipeline: boolean = true,
+): string[] {
+  if (width >= WIDE_HEADER_WIDTH) return renderWide(theme, width, showPipeline);
+  if (width >= COMPACT_HEADER_WIDTH) return renderCompact(theme, width, showPipeline);
+  return renderNarrow(theme, width, showPipeline);
 }
 
 export default function startupHeaderExtension(pi: ExtensionAPI) {
   pi.on("session_start", (_event, ctx) => {
     if (ctx.mode !== "tui") return;
 
-    ctx.ui.setHeader((_tui, theme) => ({
-      render: (width) => renderStartupHeader(theme, width),
+    let showPipeline = true;
+
+    ctx.ui.setHeader((tui, theme) => ({
+      render: (width) => renderStartupHeader(theme, width, showPipeline),
       invalidate() {},
+      setExpanded(toolsExpanded: boolean) {
+        // Invert: when tools are expanded for deeper inspection, collapse the
+        // header to yield vertical screen space. When tools are collapsed,
+        // show the full research capability pipeline.
+        const next = !toolsExpanded;
+        if (showPipeline === next) return;
+        showPipeline = next;
+        tui.requestRender();
+      },
     }));
   });
+
+  pi.on("session_shutdown", (_event, ctx) => {
+    if (ctx.mode !== "tui") return;
+    ctx.ui.setHeader(undefined);
+  });
 }
diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap.mjs b/scripts/bootstrap.mjs
index b8116d0..eae4218 100644
--- a/scripts/bootstrap.mjs
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap.mjs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * SecStack profile.
  *
  * This script deliberately changes only the SecStack profile's package list,
- * shell command prefix, and optional Bash launcher.
+ * shell command prefix, quietStartup setting, and optional Bash launcher.
  */
 import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
 import {
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ function mergeSettings() {
       : pathCommand;
   }
 
+  // Silence Pi's default startup banner and raw resource listing so SecStack's
+  // custom startup header and interactive capability pipeline take center stage.
+  settings.quietStartup = true;
+
   const temp = join(agentDir, `.settings.${process.pid}.tmp`);
   writeFileSync(temp, `${JSON.stringify(settings, null, 2)}\n`, "utf8");
   renameSync(temp, settingsPath);