diff --git a/docs/screenshots/board-welcome-ao-20260709-042252.png b/docs/screenshots/board-welcome-ao-20260709-042252.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd8aacf59d
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/screenshots/board-welcome-ao-20260709-042252.png differ
diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/__tests__/integration/board-empty-states.test.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/__tests__/integration/board-empty-states.test.tsx
index 1403a74742..5e330d679e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/__tests__/integration/board-empty-states.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/__tests__/integration/board-empty-states.test.tsx
@@ -113,10 +113,8 @@ describe("global board first launch", () => {
 
 		expect(await screen.findByText("Welcome to Agent Orchestrator")).toBeInTheDocument();
 		expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Add your first project" })).toBeInTheDocument();
-		// The three orientation steps and the column legend are present.
-		expect(screen.getByText("Add a project")).toBeInTheDocument();
-		expect(screen.getByText("Describe a task")).toBeInTheDocument();
-		expect(screen.getByText("Ready to merge")).toBeInTheDocument();
+		// The CTA is present.
+		expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Add your first project" })).toBeInTheDocument();
 		expect(columnCount()).toBe(0);
 		// The welcome carries its own orientation — no dangling "Board" header.
 		expect(screen.queryByText("Board")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/components/BoardEmptyState.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/components/BoardEmptyState.tsx
index e339844af4..9a09fbf8df 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/components/BoardEmptyState.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/components/BoardEmptyState.tsx
@@ -1,107 +1,45 @@
-import { Fragment, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { Plus } from "lucide-react";
+
 import { useShell } from "../lib/shell-context";
-import { cn } from "../lib/utils";
 import aoLogo from "../assets/ao-logo.png";
 import { CreateProjectFlow } from "./CreateProjectFlow";
 import { OrchestratorIcon } from "./icons";
 
-// The four board zones, in flow order — mirrors COLUMNS in SessionsBoard.tsx
-// (label + dot color + title tint) so the welcome legend pre-teaches exactly
-// what the user will see once the board has sessions.
-const FLOW_LEGEND = [
-	{ label: "Working", dot: "var(--orange)", titleClass: "text-working" },
-	{ label: "Needs you", dot: "var(--amber)", titleClass: "text-warning" },
-	{ label: "In review", dot: "var(--fg-muted)", titleClass: "text-muted-foreground" },
-	{ label: "Ready to merge", dot: "var(--green)", titleClass: "text-success" },
-];
-
-// First-launch board state (no projects registered yet): replaces the four
-// empty kanban columns with orientation — what this app does, the three steps
-// to a first merge, and the same create-project flow the sidebar's + runs.
 export function BoardWelcome() {
 	const { createProject } = useShell();
 	return (
 		<div className="flex h-full min-h-0 items-center justify-center overflow-y-auto">
-			<div className="flex w-full max-w-[460px] flex-col items-center pb-[5vh] text-center">
-				<img src={aoLogo} alt="" aria-hidden="true" className="h-10 w-10 rounded-[10px] object-cover" />
-				<h2 className="mt-5 text-[17px] font-semibold tracking-[-0.015em] text-foreground">
+			<div className="flex w-full max-w-[460px] flex-col items-center pb-[6vh] text-center">
+				<img src={aoLogo} alt="" aria-hidden="true" className="h-20 w-20 rounded-[16px] object-cover" />
+				<h2 className="mt-5 text-[15px] font-semibold tracking-[-0.01em] text-foreground">
 					Welcome to Agent Orchestrator
 				</h2>
-				<p className="mt-2 max-w-[400px] text-[12.5px] leading-[1.6] text-muted-foreground">
-					Add a git repository, describe the work, and AO coordinates agent sessions on isolated branches. This kanban
-					board tracks each session from work through review to merge.
+				<p className="mt-1.5 max-w-[320px] text-[12.5px] leading-[1.65] text-muted-foreground">
+					Add a repository and describe the work. AO runs agents on isolated branches, from start to merge.
 				</p>
 
-				<ol className="mt-7 w-full divide-y divide-border rounded-[13px] border border-border bg-surface text-left">
-					<WelcomeStep n="01" title="Add a project">
-						Choose a local git repository and select the agents AO should use.
-					</WelcomeStep>
-					<WelcomeStep n="02" title="Describe a task">
-						Tell the orchestrator what you want done; it creates worker sessions on isolated branches.
-					</WelcomeStep>
-					<WelcomeStep n="03" title="Review and merge">
-						Follow each session from work to review to merge readiness:
-						<span className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1.5 gap-y-1.5">
-							{FLOW_LEGEND.map((zone, index) => (
-								<Fragment key={zone.label}>
-									{index > 0 && (
-										<span aria-hidden="true" className="text-[10px] text-passive">
-											→
-										</span>
-									)}
-									<span
-										className={cn(
-											"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-[10px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.08em]",
-											zone.titleClass,
-										)}
-									>
-										<span className="h-[7px] w-[7px] rounded-full" style={{ background: zone.dot }} />
-										{zone.label}
-									</span>
-								</Fragment>
-							))}
-						</span>
-					</WelcomeStep>
-				</ol>
-
 				<CreateProjectFlow idleLabel="Add your first project" onCreateProject={createProject}>
 					{({ choosePath, disabled, error, label }) => (
 						<>
 							<button
 								aria-label="Add your first project"
-								className="dashboard-app-header__primary-btn mt-7"
+								className="mt-7 inline-flex h-8 items-center rounded-md border border-border px-4 text-[13px] font-medium text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-surface disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-50"
 								disabled={disabled}
 								onClick={choosePath}
 								type="button"
 							>
-								<Plus className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
 								{label}
 							</button>
 							{error && <p className="mt-3 text-[11px] leading-[1.5] text-error">{error}</p>}
 						</>
 					)}
 				</CreateProjectFlow>
-				<p className="mt-3 text-[11px] text-passive">
-					Adding a project starts its orchestrator — the agent you talk to.
-				</p>
+				<p className="mt-2.5 text-[11px] text-passive">Starts an orchestrator session for the project.</p>
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	);
 }
 
-function WelcomeStep({ n, title, children }: { n: string; title: string; children: ReactNode }) {
-	return (
-		<li className="flex gap-3.5 px-4 py-3.5">
-			<span className="pt-px font-mono text-[10.5px] font-medium leading-[1.7] text-passive">{n}</span>
-			<span className="min-w-0 flex-1">
-				<span className="block text-[13px] font-medium text-foreground">{title}</span>
-				<span className="mt-1 block text-[12px] leading-[1.55] text-muted-foreground">{children}</span>
-			</span>
-		</li>
-	);
-}
-
 // Project board with a registered project but no worker sessions yet: a quiet
 // invitation instead of four empty columns. Actions mirror the board header
 // (Orchestrator stays the primary, like the topbar) so the vocabulary holds.