diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/NextStepCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/NextStepCard.tsx
index 5d54a266..9b158d5a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/NextStepCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/NextStepCard.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type { OnboardingStatus } from '@/api/onboarding'
 import { useTrialBanner } from '@/hooks/useTrialBanner'
 import type { TrialBannerStage } from '@/hooks/useTrialBanner'
 import { useOnboardingStatus } from '@/hooks/useOnboardingStatus'
+import { FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT } from '@/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput'
 
 /**
  * Next-step card — surfaces the single highest-priority incomplete onboarding
@@ -114,9 +115,10 @@ export function pickNextStep(
 export function NextStepCard() {
   const status = useOnboardingStatus()
   const [locallyDismissed, setLocallyDismissed] = useState(false)
+  const [locallyHidden, setLocallyHidden] = useState(false)
   const { stage } = useTrialBanner()
 
-  if (!status || status.dismissed || locallyDismissed) return null
+  if (!status || status.dismissed || locallyDismissed || locallyHidden) return null
 
   const next = pickNextStep(status, stage)
   if (!next) return null
@@ -154,14 +156,29 @@ export function NextStepCard() {
         </button>
       </div>
       <div className="mt-3">
-        <Link
-          to={next.ctaPath}
-          data-testid="next-step-cta"
-          className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md bg-primary px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-primary-foreground transition-colors hover:opacity-90 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent focus-visible:ring-offset-1"
-        >
-          {next.ctaLabel}
-          <ArrowRight size={14} />
-        </Link>
+        {next.key === 'ran_session' ? (
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={() => {
+              window.dispatchEvent(new Event(FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT))
+              setLocallyHidden(true)
+            }}
+            data-testid="next-step-cta"
+            className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md bg-primary px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-primary-foreground transition-colors hover:opacity-90 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent focus-visible:ring-offset-1"
+          >
+            {next.ctaLabel}
+            <ArrowRight size={14} />
+          </button>
+        ) : (
+          <Link
+            to={next.ctaPath}
+            data-testid="next-step-cta"
+            className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md bg-primary px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-primary-foreground transition-colors hover:opacity-90 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent focus-visible:ring-offset-1"
+          >
+            {next.ctaLabel}
+            <ArrowRight size={14} />
+          </Link>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SetupChecklist.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SetupChecklist.tsx
index 7d8677b2..13ddcb1f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SetupChecklist.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SetupChecklist.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { OnboardingStatus } from '@/api/onboarding'
 import { useTrialBanner } from '@/hooks/useTrialBanner'
 import type { TrialBannerStage } from '@/hooks/useTrialBanner'
 import { useOnboardingStatus } from '@/hooks/useOnboardingStatus'
+import { FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT } from '@/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput'
 
 /**
  * Unified setup checklist — single list (no SOLO/TEAM bifurcation).
@@ -112,6 +113,21 @@ export function SetupChecklist() {
                   {item.label}
                 </span>
               </div>
+            ) : item.key === 'ran_session' ? (
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                onClick={() => window.dispatchEvent(new Event(FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT))}
+                className={cn(
+                  'w-full flex items-center gap-3 rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-sm transition-colors text-left',
+                  'hover:bg-[rgba(255,255,255,0.04)]',
+                )}
+                data-testid={`checklist-item-${item.key}`}
+                data-done="false"
+              >
+                <span className="flex h-5 w-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-md border border-border" />
+                <span className="flex-1 text-foreground">{item.label}</span>
+                <ChevronRight size={14} className="text-muted-foreground shrink-0" />
+              </button>
             ) : (
               <Link
                 to={item.path}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput.tsx
index a4b057fe..eaa439ae 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/StartSessionInput.tsx
@@ -18,19 +18,38 @@ const SUGGESTIONS: { icon: LucideIcon; label: string }[] = [
 
 const ACCEPTED_FILE_TYPES = 'image/png,image/jpeg,image/gif,image/webp,.txt,.log,.csv,.pdf,.docx'
 
+export const FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT = 'rf:focus-start-session'
+
 export function StartSessionInput() {
   const [value, setValue] = useState('')
   const [showLogs, setShowLogs] = useState(false)
   const [logContent, setLogContent] = useState('')
   const [pendingUploads, setPendingUploads] = useState<PendingUpload[]>([])
   const [isDragOver, setIsDragOver] = useState(false)
+  const [nudge, setNudge] = useState(false)
   const navigate = useNavigate()
+  const wrapperRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
   const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null)
   const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null)
   const dragCounterRef = useRef(0)
 
   useEffect(() => { textareaRef.current?.focus() }, [])
 
+  // External "focus me" trigger (e.g. NextStepCard "Start a session" CTA on
+  // the same page). Scrolls into view, focuses the textarea, and pulses a
+  // ring so the click feels intentional even when the input was already
+  // partially visible.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handler = () => {
+      wrapperRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'start' })
+      textareaRef.current?.focus({ preventScroll: true })
+      setNudge(true)
+      window.setTimeout(() => setNudge(false), 900)
+    }
+    window.addEventListener(FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT, handler)
+    return () => window.removeEventListener(FOCUS_START_SESSION_EVENT, handler)
+  }, [])
+
   // Auto-grow textarea
   useEffect(() => {
     const el = textareaRef.current
@@ -190,7 +209,8 @@ export function StartSessionInput() {
 
   return (
     <div
-      className="w-full"
+      ref={wrapperRef}
+      className="w-full scroll-mt-6"
       onDragOver={handleDragOver}
       onDragEnter={handleDragEnter}
       onDragLeave={handleDragLeave}
@@ -198,9 +218,11 @@ export function StartSessionInput() {
     >
       {/* Main input area */}
       <div className={cn(
-        'relative rounded-2xl border bg-card transition-all',
+        'relative rounded-2xl border bg-card transition-all duration-300',
         isDragOver ? 'border-primary/50 bg-primary/5' : 'border-border',
-        'focus-within:border-[rgba(96,165,250,0.25)] focus-within:ring-1 focus-within:ring-[rgba(96,165,250,0.1)]'
+        nudge
+          ? 'border-[rgba(96,165,250,0.6)] ring-2 ring-[rgba(96,165,250,0.35)] shadow-[0_0_0_6px_rgba(96,165,250,0.12)]'
+          : 'focus-within:border-[rgba(96,165,250,0.25)] focus-within:ring-1 focus-within:ring-[rgba(96,165,250,0.1)]'
       )}>
         {/* Drag overlay */}
         {isDragOver && (