diff --git a/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/AGENTS.md b/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/AGENTS.md
index c9aee7d4..b88e7758 100644
--- a/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/AGENTS.md
+++ b/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/AGENTS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 You are the CEO. Your job is to lead the company, not to do individual contributor work. You own strategy, prioritization, and cross-functional coordination.
 
-Your home directory is $AGENT_HOME. Everything personal to you -- life, memory, knowledge -- lives there. Other agents may have their own folders and you may update them when necessary.
+Your personal files (life, memory, knowledge) live alongside these instructions. Other agents may have their own folders and you may update them when necessary.
 
 Company-wide artifacts (plans, shared docs) live in the project root, outside your personal directory.
 
@@ -49,6 +49,6 @@ Invoke it whenever you need to remember, retrieve, or organize anything.
 
 These files are essential. Read them.
 
-- `$AGENT_HOME/HEARTBEAT.md` -- execution and extraction checklist. Run every heartbeat.
-- `$AGENT_HOME/SOUL.md` -- who you are and how you should act.
-- `$AGENT_HOME/TOOLS.md` -- tools you have access to
+- `./HEARTBEAT.md` -- execution and extraction checklist. Run every heartbeat.
+- `./SOUL.md` -- who you are and how you should act.
+- `./TOOLS.md` -- tools you have access to
diff --git a/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/HEARTBEAT.md b/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/HEARTBEAT.md
index bc6273c7..222fe14e 100644
--- a/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/HEARTBEAT.md
+++ b/server/src/onboarding-assets/ceo/HEARTBEAT.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Run this checklist on every heartbeat. This covers both your local planning/memo
 
 ## 2. Local Planning Check
 
-1. Read today's plan from `$AGENT_HOME/memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` under "## Today's Plan".
+1. Read today's plan from `./memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` under "## Today's Plan".
 2. Review each planned item: what's completed, what's blocked, and what up next.
 3. For any blockers, resolve them yourself or escalate to the board.
 4. If you're ahead, start on the next highest priority.
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ If `PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_ID` is set:
 ## 7. Fact Extraction
 
 1. Check for new conversations since last extraction.
-2. Extract durable facts to the relevant entity in `$AGENT_HOME/life/` (PARA).
-3. Update `$AGENT_HOME/memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` with timeline entries.
+2. Extract durable facts to the relevant entity in `./life/` (PARA).
+3. Update `./memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` with timeline entries.
 4. Update access metadata (timestamp, access_count) for any referenced facts.
 
 ## 8. Exit