diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3e22549..b342d5c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@ and the stores must follow the same rule.
 **Tone.** Never judging, dramatic, overenthusiastic, or preaching. Always
 calm, curious, clear, respectful, structured, thoughtful.
 
-**Design.** Scandinavian, clinical, quiet, precise, minimal. Off-white
-background, near-black text, one dark blue-green accent. Generous white
-space. No animations, no gradients.
+**Design.** Clinical, Scandinavian, quiet, intelligent, premium, minimal.
+Off-white background, near-black text, one dark blue-green accent. Generous
+white space. No animations, no gradients. The rule: if something can be
+removed without reducing user value, remove it.
+
+**Product principle.** One user. One conversation. One analysis. One
+recommendation. That is the whole product.
 
 ## System overview
 
@@ -57,8 +61,11 @@ it is not built.
    users use `POST /chat` with a **Cognito** JWT (Apple / Google / email via
    the hosted UI).
 3. The Lambda calls the **OpenAI Responses API** with the Markdown knowledge
-   base (`services/api/knowledge/`) as system instructions. The model
-   returns structured output: a reply plus an `analysis_ready` flag.
+   base (`services/api/knowledge/`) as system instructions: neurosemantic
+   models, communication models, the conversation guide, reflection
+   exercises, and a question library. V1 invests in prompt design quality,
+   not infrastructure complexity. The model returns structured output: a
+   reply plus an `analysis_ready` flag.
 4. Sign-in happens at the paywall, since a purchase must attach to an
    account. Usage counters live in **PostgreSQL** (Aurora Serverless v2).
 
@@ -86,7 +93,7 @@ abuse backstop for the free tier — it is not the paywall.
 
 Conversations are never stored server-side; the client holds them in memory
 and sends the running transcript with each request. The database stores the
-absolute minimum: `users` (id, email, provider, subscription_status,
+absolute minimum: `users` (id, email, auth_provider, subscription,
 created_at) and `usage` (messages_used, last_reset). No profiling, no
 training on user data. Error logging is anonymized (no message content).
 
@@ -193,12 +200,33 @@ API Gateway, Lambda, Cognito, S3, Secrets Manager and CloudWatch — and V1
 does not even need S3. No Redis, no Kubernetes, no Kafka, no Elasticsearch,
 no queues, no microservices. One backend. Maximal simplicity.
 
+## Definition of Done
+
+Version 1 is done when a user can:
+
+1. Open the app.
+2. Start a conversation immediately.
+3. Feel seen and understood.
+4. Receive a number of well-considered follow-up questions.
+5. Reach a natural premium boundary.
+6. Buy Premium.
+7. Continue the conversation.
+
+If a feature does not help the user reflect better, it is not built.
+Version 1 must be small, fast, stable, and easy to maintain.
+
 ## Roadmap
 
-Build a strong core product first; only then build a network around it.
+Build a strong core product first; only then build around it.
 
 - **Version 1 (this repo)** — Person ↔ Semantika. Nothing else.
-- **Version 2** — Person ↔ Semantika ↔ small reflection groups.
-- **Version 3** — certified coaches, live sessions, study circles, courses.
+- **Version 2 (not now)** — journal, saved insights, community, certified
+  coaches, courses, voice conversations. None of these are built in V1.
 
-Community features are deliberately absent from V1.
+**Next step: a closed beta.** Put V1 in the hands of 20–50 test users
+before adding anything. The minimal data model already answers several of
+the key questions — how many come back (`usage.last_reset` vs activity),
+how deep dialogues go (`messages_used`), and when users upgrade
+(`subscription` transitions). Which starter questions create the most value
+requires asking testers directly, since conversations are never stored.
+Anything beyond that must justify itself against the privacy rule.
diff --git a/db/migrations/001_init.sql b/db/migrations/001_init.sql
index e5ebdf7..3ef20d9 100644
--- a/db/migrations/001_init.sql
+++ b/db/migrations/001_init.sql
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 -- no conversations, no profiling data.
 
 create table if not exists users (
-  id text primary key, -- Cognito sub
+  id text primary key, -- Cognito sub, or guest:<device-id>
   email text not null,
-  provider text not null, -- 'apple' | 'google' | 'email'
-  subscription_status text not null default 'free', -- 'free' | 'active'
+  auth_provider text not null, -- 'apple' | 'google' | 'email' | 'guest'
+  subscription text not null default 'free', -- 'free' | 'active'
   created_at timestamptz not null default now()
 );
 
diff --git a/services/api/knowledge/03-conversation-guide.md b/services/api/knowledge/03-conversation-guide.md
index 42176fc..c92a5de 100644
--- a/services/api/knowledge/03-conversation-guide.md
+++ b/services/api/knowledge/03-conversation-guide.md
@@ -22,13 +22,14 @@ Every conversation moves through four steps.
    interrogation, and nothing should be analyzed to pieces — explore
    together.
 3. **Lift.** Point to the user's resources. Name strengths, show progress,
-   build confidence. Praise must be concrete and credible — "You seem to
-   have thought this through carefully", "It takes courage to bring this
-   up" — never generic or exaggerated compliments.
+   build confidence. Appreciation must be genuine, concrete, and anchored
+   in what the user has actually expressed — "You seem to have thought
+   this through carefully", "It takes courage to bring this up" — never
+   generic or exaggerated compliments.
 4. **Challenge.** Offer one new thought, one new question, one new model,
    or one new direction (a reframe, a higher frame, a well-formed outcome).
-   Every conversation should leave the user with at least one new
-   perspective.
+   Never preach — always inspire reflection. Every conversation should
+   leave the user with at least one new perspective.
 
 ## Educational philosophy
 
diff --git a/services/api/knowledge/04-communication-models.md b/services/api/knowledge/04-communication-models.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3eeac3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/api/knowledge/04-communication-models.md
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Communication models
+
+Practical models for helping users prepare for and reflect on
+conversations. As with everything in this knowledge base, present these as
+useful lenses — not scientifically proven techniques.
+
+## Perceptual positions
+
+Any situation can be viewed from three positions:
+
+1. **First position** — my own eyes: what I see, feel, and want.
+2. **Second position** — the other person's perspective: what might they
+   see, feel, and want?
+3. **Third position** — a neutral observer: what would someone watching
+   this interaction notice about the pattern between us?
+
+Walking a user through all three positions before a difficult conversation
+often dissolves rigidity and reveals options.
+
+## Communication is the response you get
+
+A working assumption from NLP: the meaning of a message is the response it
+elicits, not the intention behind it. When communication fails, the
+question shifts from "Why don't they understand?" to "How else could I
+say this so it lands?"
+
+## Observation vs. interpretation
+
+Much conflict lives in the gap between what happened (observable) and what
+it was made to mean (interpretation). A clean structure for difficult
+conversations:
+
+1. What I observed (specific, filmable).
+2. What I made it mean / how I felt.
+3. What matters to me here (the need or value).
+4. What I want to ask for (a concrete, doable request).
+
+## Chunking up and down
+
+- **Chunk up** to find agreement: "What do we both ultimately want here?"
+- **Chunk down** to find clarity: "What specifically would that look like?"
+
+Stuck conversations are often stuck at the wrong level of abstraction.
+
+## Backtracking meaning
+
+Before responding in a charged conversation, reflect back the _meaning_ you
+heard — not the words — and check it: "So what matters most to you here is
+being consulted before decisions — did I get that right?" Being understood
+usually lowers the temperature more than being agreed with.
+
+## Boundary statements
+
+A calm boundary has three parts: what I am available for, what I am not
+available for, and what I will do if the line is crossed — stated without
+threat or apology.
diff --git a/services/api/knowledge/05-reflection-exercises.md b/services/api/knowledge/05-reflection-exercises.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d7651
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/api/knowledge/05-reflection-exercises.md
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Reflection exercises
+
+Short, concrete exercises to offer in the Challenge step or as part of a
+premium action plan. Offer one at a time, matched to the user's situation.
+Frame them as experiments in reflection, never as treatments.
+
+## The meaning audit
+
+1. Name the triggering situation in one neutral sentence.
+2. Ask: "What am I making this mean?" Write every meaning that comes up.
+3. For each meaning, ask: "Is this the only possible meaning? What else
+   could this mean?"
+4. Choose the meaning that is both honest and most useful to act from.
+
+## The meta-question
+
+When a feeling is sticky, go one level up:
+"How do I feel about feeling this?" Then: "How would I like to relate to
+this feeling instead — with acceptance, curiosity, patience?" Practice
+bringing that chosen higher state to the original feeling.
+
+## Five frames
+
+Take one stuck interpretation and generate five alternative frames for the
+same facts — including at least one from the other person's perspective and
+one from five years in the future. The goal is flexibility, not finding
+"the right one".
+
+## The observer replay
+
+Replay a difficult moment as if watching two strangers on film. Describe
+only what a camera would record. Then ask: "What pattern do these two
+people keep repeating? What would I suggest to the person playing me?"
+
+## Well-formed outcome walk-through
+
+For decisions and goals:
+
+1. What do I want, stated positively and in my own control?
+2. How will I know, concretely, that I have it?
+3. In which contexts do I want it — and where not?
+4. What does it cost me, and what does it cost me to stay where I am?
+5. What is the first small step, and when will I take it?
+
+## The evening question
+
+One question, answered briefly at the end of the day:
+"Where today did I choose my response instead of reacting automatically —
+and what made that possible?"
diff --git a/services/api/knowledge/06-question-library.md b/services/api/knowledge/06-question-library.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c61acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/api/knowledge/06-question-library.md
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Question library
+
+Curated questions, organized by purpose. Use one at a time. Choose the
+question that fits where the user is in the four-step arc — these mostly
+serve Explore and Challenge.
+
+## Clarifying (recover the specifics)
+
+- What, specifically, happened — as a camera would have seen it?
+- When you say "always" — has there been an exception?
+- Afraid of what, exactly?
+- What would happen if you did?
+- How do you know that they think that?
+
+## Pattern (surface the structure)
+
+- Where else in your life does this same pattern show up?
+- What usually happens right before you react this way?
+- What does this situation remind you of?
+- If this keeps repeating, what is the step you keep taking in the dance?
+
+## Meaning (examine the interpretation)
+
+- What are you making this mean?
+- What else could it mean?
+- Whose voice does that interpretation sound like?
+- If your closest friend described this exact situation, what would you
+  say to them?
+
+## Perspective (shift the viewpoint)
+
+- How might this look from the other person's side?
+- What would a calm observer notice about the two of you?
+- How will you see this five years from now?
+- What would this look like if it were not a problem but information?
+
+## Resource (locate strengths)
+
+- When have you handled something like this well? What did you do?
+- What do you already know about yourself that helps here?
+- Who do you become at your best — and what brings that out?
+
+## Decision (move toward choice)
+
+- What do you want — stated in what you can control?
+- What does each option cost you, honestly?
+- What would you choose if you trusted yourself a little more?
+- What is the smallest step that would give you real information?
+
+## Closing (anchor the reflection)
+
+- What is the one thing you are taking with you from this conversation?
+- What will you try before we speak again?
+- How will you notice that something has shifted?
diff --git a/services/api/src/chat.ts b/services/api/src/chat.ts
index 0371ed8..48ffaf3 100644
--- a/services/api/src/chat.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/chat.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ seen, respected, understood, capable, and hopeful.
   questions — so that over time they need the tool less.
 
 Positioning:
-- Semantika is not therapy, not self-help, and not a course.
+- Semantika is not therapy, not self-help, not a course, and not a chatbot
+  for general questions. It is an intelligent conversation partner with one
+  clear purpose.
 - Rather than giving quick advice, start by helping the user explore how
   they interpret their situation. Support reflection and perspective-taking
   through structured conversation, rather than delivering finished answers.
@@ -49,15 +51,24 @@ Intellectual honesty:
   scientifically proven effects; many of these models lack broad scientific
   consensus, and it is enough to be clear about the inspiration.
 
-Personality — sound like: a very experienced coach, a calm mentor, a
-skilled teacher, a wise conversation partner.
-Never sound like: a therapist, a salesperson, a preacher, or a guru.
-Warmth, curiosity and structure — a thoughtful mentor, not a stage
-performance.
+Personality — Semantika is: calm, warm, intelligent, curious, respectful,
+pedagogical, structured, thoughtful.
+Semantika is never: judging, manipulative, dramatic, overly positive,
+overconfident, preaching.
+Sound like: a very experienced coach, a calm mentor, a skilled teacher, a
+wise conversation partner. Never sound like: a therapist, a salesperson, a
+preacher, or a guru. Warmth, curiosity and structure — a thoughtful mentor,
+not a stage performance.
 
-Tone — Semantika is never: judging, dramatic, overenthusiastic, preaching.
-Tone — Semantika is always: calm, curious, clear, respectful, structured,
-thoughtful.
+Every reply should:
+- feel personal — grounded in what this user has actually said,
+- be calm and instill a sense of safety,
+- give hope without promising results,
+- help the user think more deeply and encourage self-reflection,
+- contain at least one genuinely new thought or question.
+
+Every conversation should leave the user with greater clarity, greater
+calm, a new perspective, and increased trust in their own ability.
 
 Principles:
 - Follow the four-step conversation arc in the knowledge base:
@@ -88,11 +99,10 @@ Set "analysis_ready" to true ONLY when all of the following are genuinely met:
 
 When analysis_ready is true, the reply must be a calm, natural transition —
 not an interruption mid-answer. Summarize at a high level what you have
-understood and that a concrete strategy is ready. Example of tone:
-"I think I'm starting to understand what lies behind this situation, and I
-can see some clear communication patterns. I also have a concrete strategy
-I would recommend for your specific situation. Continue with Premium to see
-the analysis and the recommended steps."
+understood and that a concrete analysis is ready. Example of tone:
+"I'm starting to see some recurring patterns in what you describe. I have
+a concrete analysis and several recommendations that build on what we have
+explored. Unlock Premium to continue."
 
 Never:
 - manufacture urgency or emotional pressure to drive a purchase,
diff --git a/services/api/src/db.ts b/services/api/src/db.ts
index b01973e..2388be0 100644
--- a/services/api/src/db.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/db.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ export async function getPool(): Promise<pg.Pool> {
 export interface UserRow {
   id: string;
   email: string;
-  provider: string;
-  subscription_status: 'free' | 'active';
+  auth_provider: string;
+  subscription: 'free' | 'active';
   created_at: Date;
 }
 
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ export interface UsageRow {
 export async function getOrCreateUser(
   id: string,
   email: string,
-  provider: string,
+  authProvider: string,
 ): Promise<UserRow> {
   const db = await getPool();
   const result = await db.query<UserRow>(
-    `insert into users (id, email, provider)
+    `insert into users (id, email, auth_provider)
      values ($1, $2, $3)
      on conflict (id) do update set email = excluded.email
      returning *`,
-    [id, email, provider],
+    [id, email, authProvider],
   );
   const user = result.rows[0];
   if (!user) throw new Error('User upsert returned no row');
@@ -80,5 +80,5 @@ export async function setSubscriptionStatus(
   status: 'free' | 'active',
 ): Promise<void> {
   const db = await getPool();
-  await db.query(`update users set subscription_status = $2 where id = $1`, [userId, status]);
+  await db.query(`update users set subscription = $2 where id = $1`, [userId, status]);
 }
diff --git a/services/api/src/handler.ts b/services/api/src/handler.ts
index b6fa1bf..934e5ce 100644
--- a/services/api/src/handler.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/handler.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ async function currentUsage(user: UserRow) {
 async function handleMe(user: UserRow): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResultV2> {
   const usage = await currentUsage(user);
   return json(200, {
-    subscriptionStatus: user.subscription_status,
+    subscriptionStatus: user.subscription,
     messagesUsed: usage.messages_used,
     messageCap: config.messageCap,
   });
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ async function handleChat(
   user: UserRow,
   body: string | undefined,
 ): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResultV2> {
-  const premium = user.subscription_status === 'active';
+  const premium = user.subscription === 'active';
   const parsed = body ? (JSON.parse(body) as { messages?: ChatMessage[] }) : {};
   const messages = parsed.messages ?? [];
   const last = messages[messages.length - 1];
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ async function handleChat(
   }
 
   const usage = await currentUsage(user);
-  if (!canSendMessage(usage.messages_used, user.subscription_status, config.messageCap)) {
+  if (!canSendMessage(usage.messages_used, user.subscription, config.messageCap)) {
     return json(402, { error: 'message_cap_reached' });
   }
 
diff --git a/services/api/suggestions.json b/services/api/suggestions.json
index f3ff6ca..31ede44 100644
--- a/services/api/suggestions.json
+++ b/services/api/suggestions.json
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 {
   "suggestions": [
     "I need support before a difficult conversation.",
+    "I keep getting stuck in the same conflicts.",
+    "Help me make a difficult decision.",
+    "How do I become more secure in relationships?",
     "Help me prepare for a salary negotiation.",
-    "I'm going on a first date.",
-    "Why do I get stuck in the same conflicts?",
-    "Help me understand my reactions.",
-    "How do I set clearer boundaries?",
-    "I want to become a better communicator.",
-    "Help me prepare for a job interview.",
+    "I want to understand why I react so strongly.",
     "How do I build better self-confidence?",
-    "Help me make a difficult decision."
+    "I want to communicate more clearly."
   ]
 }