diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 671b65a3c..0c5d402d5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,8 +36,16 @@ state, the run stops for review.
 
 ## Try it locally
 
-OpenAdapt requires Python 3.10–3.12. Install the browser capability for the
-bundled tutorial:
+OpenAdapt requires Python 3.10–3.12. Easiest install (creates its own
+environment and includes the browser capability for the bundled tutorial):
+
+```bash
+curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
+curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenAdaptAI/openadapt-flow/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
+```
+
+Manual path with pip — install the browser capability for the bundled
+tutorial:
 
 ```bash
 python -m pip install --upgrade 'openadapt[browser]'
diff --git a/openadapt/cli.py b/openadapt/cli.py
index 1e5761a9c..e3550277e 100644
--- a/openadapt/cli.py
+++ b/openadapt/cli.py
@@ -108,13 +108,52 @@ def _run_flow(argv: list[str]) -> None:
     sys.exit(_invoke_flow(argv))
 
 
-@main.command("quickstart")
+_DEFAULT_QUICKSTART_DIR = "openadapt-quickstart"
+_PYTHON_REMEDY = (
+    "OpenAdapt needs Python 3.10\u20133.12. Easiest fix: "
+    "curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh && "
+    "uv venv --python 3.12 && uv pip install 'openadapt[browser]'\n"
+    "Or use the installer script: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/"
+    "OpenAdaptAI/openadapt-flow/main/scripts/install.sh"
+)
+
+
+def _echo_python_remedy() -> None:
+    """Print the plain-language fix for an unsupported interpreter."""
+    click.echo(_PYTHON_REMEDY, err=True)
+
+
+def _require_supported_python() -> None:
+    """Stop before delegation when pip cannot resolve this launcher.
+
+    The requires-python bound means a >=3.13 interpreter fails pip
+    resolution with raw resolver noise; give the remedy here instead.
+    """
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
+        _echo_python_remedy()
+        raise click.exceptions.Exit(1)
+
+
+def _is_externally_managed_error(error: BaseException) -> bool:
+    """Match pip's PEP 668 externally-managed-environment failure text."""
+    return "externally-managed-environment" in str(error)
+
+
+@main.command(
+    "quickstart",
+    context_settings={
+        "ignore_unknown_options": True,
+        "allow_extra_args": True,
+    },
+)
 @click.option(
     "--out",
     type=click.Path(path_type=Path),
-    default=Path("openadapt-quickstart"),
-    show_default=True,
-    help="New directory for the recording, bundle, and run report.",
+    default=None,
+    help=(
+        f"Directory for the recording, bundle, and run report. Default: "
+        f"{_DEFAULT_QUICKSTART_DIR}, suffixed -2, -3, ... when taken."
+    ),
 )
 @click.option(
     "--headed", is_flag=True, help="Show the browser while the tutorial runs."
@@ -129,21 +168,36 @@ def _run_flow(argv: list[str]) -> None:
         "trusting the screen."
     ),
 )
-def quickstart(out: Path, headed: bool, break_it: bool) -> None:
+@click.pass_context
+def quickstart(
+    command_ctx: click.Context, out: Optional[Path], headed: bool, break_it: bool
+) -> None:
     """Run a verified local tutorial against the bundled synthetic app.
 
     This is the shortest path to a real OpenAdapt run. It uses the bundled
     synthetic tutorial, verifies the write through an independent read-only
     system-of-record interface, keeps every artifact on this computer, and
     enables no model or Cloud call. The output directory is never overwritten.
+    Any other flags (for example --guided or --interactive-record) pass
+    through to the engine tutorial unchanged.
     """
     import os
 
-    root = out.expanduser().resolve()
-    if root.exists():
-        raise click.UsageError(
-            f"Output already exists: {root}. Pass --out with a new directory."
-        )
+    _require_supported_python()
+
+    if out is None:
+        root = Path(_DEFAULT_QUICKSTART_DIR).resolve()
+        suffix = 2
+        while root.exists():
+            root = Path(f"{_DEFAULT_QUICKSTART_DIR}-{suffix}").resolve()
+            suffix += 1
+        click.echo(f"Using output directory: {root}")
+    else:
+        root = out.expanduser().resolve()
+        if root.exists():
+            raise click.UsageError(
+                f"Output already exists: {root}. Pass --out with a new directory."
+            )
 
     argv = [
         "tutorial",
@@ -156,6 +210,9 @@ def quickstart(out: Path, headed: bool, break_it: bool) -> None:
         argv.append("--headed")
     if break_it:
         argv.append("--break-it")
+    # Engine-owned flags (--guided, --interactive-record, and future engine
+    # additions) forward verbatim instead of being whitelisted here.
+    argv.extend(command_ctx.args)
 
     # The bundled tutorial contains only fixed synthetic data. Keep an
     # installed-but-unconfigured privacy provider from blocking this known-safe
@@ -165,6 +222,11 @@ def quickstart(out: Path, headed: bool, break_it: bool) -> None:
         os.environ["OPENADAPT_FLOW_SCRUB"] = "off"
     try:
         code = _invoke_flow(argv)
+    except Exception as error:
+        if _is_externally_managed_error(error):
+            _echo_python_remedy()
+            raise click.exceptions.Exit(1) from error
+        raise
     finally:
         if scrub in (None, "auto"):
             if scrub is None:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 69743361e..db30497f0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [project]
 name = "openadapt"
 version = "1.13.1"
-description = "OpenAdapt launcher for compiling demonstrated GUI workflows into deterministic, governed execution"
+description = "Compile a demonstrated GUI workflow into a deterministic, locally executable program. Zero model calls on healthy runs; halts instead of guessing."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10,<3.13"
 license = "MIT"
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_quickstart_polish.py b/tests/test_cli_quickstart_polish.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..697d6fe68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli_quickstart_polish.py
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+"""Growth-polish contracts for `openadapt quickstart`.
+
+Covers the launcher-lane changes: default-directory auto-suffix, verbatim
+explicit --out, engine flag passthrough, and the plain-language Python
+version / PEP 668 remedy.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+from openadapt.cli import main as cli_main
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def engine_calls(monkeypatch):
+    calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "openadapt.cli._invoke_flow",
+        lambda argv: calls.append(list(argv)) or 0,
+    )
+    return calls
+
+
+def test_default_output_auto_suffixes_the_first_taken_name(engine_calls):
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        Path("openadapt-quickstart").mkdir()
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart"])
+        expected = Path("openadapt-quickstart-2").resolve()
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert len(engine_calls) == 1
+    assert engine_calls[0][2] == str(expected)
+    assert "openadapt-quickstart-2" in result.output
+
+
+def test_default_output_keeps_counting_past_repeated_runs(engine_calls):
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        Path("openadapt-quickstart").mkdir()
+        Path("openadapt-quickstart-2").mkdir()
+        Path("openadapt-quickstart-3").mkdir()
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart"])
+        expected = Path("openadapt-quickstart-4").resolve()
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert engine_calls[0][2] == str(expected)
+
+
+def test_explicit_out_is_honored_verbatim(engine_calls):
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        Path("openadapt-quickstart").mkdir()
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart", "--out", "my-dir"])
+        expected = Path("my-dir").resolve()
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert engine_calls[0][2] == str(expected)
+
+
+def test_python_313_preflight_prints_remedy_before_delegation(
+    monkeypatch, engine_calls
+):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "version_info", (3, 13, 1))
+
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "OpenAdapt needs Python 3.10\u20133.12" in result.output
+    assert "uv venv --python 3.12" in result.output
+    assert (
+        "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenAdaptAI/openadapt-flow/"
+        "main/scripts/install.sh" in result.output
+    )
+    assert engine_calls == []
+
+
+def test_pep668_error_prints_the_same_remedy(monkeypatch):
+    def raise_externally_managed(_argv):
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "error: externally-managed-environment\n\n"
+            "This environment is externally managed"
+        )
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("openadapt.cli._invoke_flow", raise_externally_managed)
+
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart", "--out", "pep-run"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "OpenAdapt needs Python 3.10\u20133.12" in result.output
+    assert "uv pip install 'openadapt[browser]'" in result.output
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "extra",
+    [
+        ["--guided"],
+        ["--interactive-record"],
+        ["--profile", "strict"],
+    ],
+)
+def test_unknown_flags_pass_through_to_engine_verbatim(engine_calls, extra):
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_main, ["quickstart", *extra])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    argv = engine_calls[0]
+    assert argv[0] == "tutorial"
+    assert argv[-len(extra) :] == extra