diff --git a/src/yc_bench/agent/loop.py b/src/yc_bench/agent/loop.py
index 7c192e9..575104a 100644
--- a/src/yc_bench/agent/loop.py
+++ b/src/yc_bench/agent/loop.py
@@ -167,21 +167,37 @@ def run_agent_loop(
         commands_executed = _extract_commands(result.raw_result)
 
         resume_payload = result.resume_payload
+        # Ignore blocked sim resume responses (ok=False means no time actually advanced)
+        if resume_payload is not None and not resume_payload.get("ok", True):
+            logger.info("Turn %d: sim resume was blocked (no active tasks).", turn_num)
+            resume_payload = None
         if result.checkpoint_advanced and resume_payload is not None:
             logger.info("Turn %d: agent called sim resume.", turn_num)
             turns_since_resume = 0
         else:
             turns_since_resume += 1
             if command_executor is not None and turns_since_resume >= auto_advance_after_turns:
-                logger.info(
-                    "Turn %d: %d consecutive turns without sim resume; auto-advancing.",
-                    turn_num, turns_since_resume,
-                )
-                resume_payload, err = _auto_resume(command_executor)
-                if err:
-                    logger.warning("Auto-resume failed on turn %d: %s", turn_num, err)
+                # Only auto-advance if there are active tasks (employees working).
+                # When idle (no active tasks), advancing just burns payroll with
+                # zero productivity — let the agent keep planning instead.
+                with db_factory() as db:
+                    idle_snapshot = _snapshot_state(db, company_id)
+                has_active = idle_snapshot["active_tasks"] > 0
+                if has_active:
+                    logger.info(
+                        "Turn %d: %d consecutive turns without sim resume; auto-advancing.",
+                        turn_num, turns_since_resume,
+                    )
+                    resume_payload, err = _auto_resume(command_executor)
+                    if err:
+                        logger.warning("Auto-resume failed on turn %d: %s", turn_num, err)
+                    else:
+                        turns_since_resume = 0
                 else:
-                    turns_since_resume = 0
+                    logger.info(
+                        "Turn %d: %d turns without resume but no active tasks; skipping auto-advance.",
+                        turn_num, turns_since_resume,
+                    )
 
         if resume_payload is not None:
             # Query full state so the agent sees active/planned task counts
diff --git a/src/yc_bench/agent/prompt.py b/src/yc_bench/agent/prompt.py
index 812c073..b97b906 100644
--- a/src/yc_bench/agent/prompt.py
+++ b/src/yc_bench/agent/prompt.py
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ Your goal is to maximize company prestige and funds over the simulation horizon
 
 ## Strategy Guidelines
 
-1. **Check company status first** to understand your financial position and runway.
-2. **Browse the market** for tasks you can accept (check prestige requirements).
+1. **Check company status first** to understand your financial position, runway, and **current prestige levels per domain**.
+2. **Browse the market at your prestige level** — use `--required-prestige-lte N` where N matches your highest prestige. Higher-prestige tasks pay significantly more (prestige-5 tasks pay ~2.2x more than prestige-1). As your prestige grows, ALWAYS increase your browse filter to find better-paying tasks.
 3. **Accept tasks** that match your capabilities and offer good reward-to-risk ratio.
 4. **Assign employees strategically** — employees split throughput across active tasks. Focus employees on fewer tasks for faster completion.
 5. **Dispatch tasks** once assigned, then continue monitoring progress/events via status and reports.
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Your goal is to maximize company prestige and funds over the simulation horizon
 7. **Watch payroll** — monthly salaries are deducted automatically. Don't let runway drop to zero.
 8. **Use status checks** to track critical milestones and risks.
 9. **Successful tasks** award funds + prestige + employee skill boosts. Build momentum.
+10. **Scale up over time** — regularly check `yc-bench company status` to see your prestige. Browse higher-prestige tasks as you grow — staying on prestige-1 tasks when you have prestige 5+ leaves enormous revenue on the table.
 
 ## Key Rules
 
@@ -199,12 +200,13 @@ def build_initial_user_prompt(
         "",
         "**Your immediate priority**: generate revenue before payroll drains your runway.",
         "You MUST complete these steps now (multiple commands per turn are fine):",
-        "1. `yc-bench market browse --required-prestige-lte 1` — find tasks you can accept",
-        "2. `yc-bench task accept --task-id <UUID>` — accept 2-3 suitable tasks",
-        "3. `yc-bench employee list` — get employee IDs",
-        "4. `yc-bench task assign --task-id <UUID> --employee-id <UUID>` — assign employees",
-        "5. `yc-bench task dispatch --task-id <UUID>` — start work on each assigned task",
-        "6. `yc-bench sim resume` — advance time to collect the first task completion event",
+        "1. `yc-bench company status` — check your current prestige levels",
+        "2. `yc-bench market browse` — find tasks you can accept (use `--required-prestige-lte N` matching your prestige)",
+        "3. `yc-bench task accept --task-id <UUID>` — accept 2-3 suitable tasks",
+        "4. `yc-bench employee list` — get employee IDs",
+        "5. `yc-bench task assign --task-id <UUID> --employee-id <UUID>` — assign employees",
+        "6. `yc-bench task dispatch --task-id <UUID>` — start work on each assigned task",
+        "7. `yc-bench sim resume` — advance time to collect the first task completion event",
         "",
         "Do not spend multiple turns just browsing. Accept and dispatch tasks immediately.",
     ]
diff --git a/src/yc_bench/cli/sim_commands.py b/src/yc_bench/cli/sim_commands.py
index e6bc997..5ceb818 100644
--- a/src/yc_bench/cli/sim_commands.py
+++ b/src/yc_bench/cli/sim_commands.py
@@ -101,6 +101,40 @@ def sim_resume():
             error_output("No simulation found. Run `yc-bench sim init` first.")
         company = db.query(Company).filter(Company.id == sim_state.company_id).one()
 
+        # Block sim resume when no active tasks — advancing idle burns payroll
+        from sqlalchemy import func
+        from ..db.models.task import Task, TaskStatus
+        active_count = db.query(func.count(Task.id)).filter(
+            Task.company_id == sim_state.company_id,
+            Task.status == TaskStatus.ACTIVE,
+        ).scalar() or 0
+
+        if active_count == 0:
+            planned_count = db.query(func.count(Task.id)).filter(
+                Task.company_id == sim_state.company_id,
+                Task.status == TaskStatus.PLANNED,
+            ).scalar() or 0
+            if planned_count > 0:
+                json_output({
+                    "ok": False,
+                    "error": "BLOCKED: You have planned tasks but none are dispatched (active). "
+                             "Assign employees and run `yc-bench task dispatch --task-id <UUID>` "
+                             "before calling sim resume. Advancing time now would waste runway.",
+                    "active_tasks": 0,
+                    "planned_tasks": planned_count,
+                })
+                return
+            else:
+                json_output({
+                    "ok": False,
+                    "error": "BLOCKED: No active tasks. Advancing time with no work in progress "
+                             "just burns payroll. Accept a task, assign employees, dispatch it, "
+                             "THEN call sim resume.",
+                    "active_tasks": 0,
+                    "planned_tasks": 0,
+                })
+                return
+
         next_event = fetch_next_event(
             db=db,
             company_id=sim_state.company_id,
diff --git a/src/yc_bench/core/handlers/task_complete.py b/src/yc_bench/core/handlers/task_complete.py
index 7c17677..517b4c1 100644
--- a/src/yc_bench/core/handlers/task_complete.py
+++ b/src/yc_bench/core/handlers/task_complete.py
@@ -98,8 +98,9 @@ def handle_task_complete(db: Session, event: SimEvent, sim_time) -> TaskComplete
                         EmployeeSkillRate.domain == domain,
                     ).one_or_none()
                     if skill is not None:
+                        boost = skill.rate_domain_per_hour * task.skill_boost_pct
                         skill.rate_domain_per_hour = min(
-                            skill.rate_domain_per_hour + task.skill_boost_pct,
+                            skill.rate_domain_per_hour + boost,
                             Decimal(str(wc.skill_rate_max)),
                         )
 
diff --git a/src/yc_bench/services/generate_employees.py b/src/yc_bench/services/generate_employees.py
index b919057..0c3f8a9 100644
--- a/src/yc_bench/services/generate_employees.py
+++ b/src/yc_bench/services/generate_employees.py
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ def _sample_salary_cents(rng, cfg, tier_name):
     return sample_right_skew_triangular_int(rng, tier.min_cents, tier.max_cents)
 
 
-def _sample_domain_rates(rng, max_rate):
-    """Sample each domain's rate independently from 0 to max_rate."""
-    return [round(rng.uniform(0, max_rate), 4) for _ in range(_NUM_DOMAINS)]
+def _sample_domain_rates(rng, min_rate, max_rate):
+    """Sample each domain's rate independently from min_rate to max_rate."""
+    return [round(rng.uniform(min_rate, max_rate), 4) for _ in range(_NUM_DOMAINS)]
 
 
 def generate_employees(*, run_seed, count, cfg=None):
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def generate_employees(*, run_seed, count, cfg=None):
         tier_name = tiers[idx - 1]
         tier_cfg = _tier_by_name(cfg, tier_name)
 
-        domain_rates = _sample_domain_rates(rng, max_rate=tier_cfg.rate_max)
+        domain_rates = _sample_domain_rates(rng, min_rate=tier_cfg.rate_min, max_rate=tier_cfg.rate_max)
         rates = dict(zip(_ALL_DOMAINS, domain_rates))
 
         employees.append(
diff --git a/system_design/00_overview.md b/system_design/00_overview.md
index 1d1a7d0..775c10d 100644
--- a/system_design/00_overview.md
+++ b/system_design/00_overview.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ An LLM agent is dropped into the role of CEO of a small AI startup. It must:
 - Assign employees to tasks across 4 technical domains
 - Manage cash flow (payroll, rewards, penalties)
 - Build prestige in each domain to unlock higher-tier tasks
+- Build trust with clients to unlock better payouts and reduced work requirements
 - Survive until the simulation horizon ends without going bankrupt
 
 ## Key Metrics (~4,975 lines of Python)
@@ -96,3 +97,4 @@ An LLM agent is dropped into the role of CEO of a small AI startup. It must:
 | [08_cli_interface.md](08_cli_interface.md) | CLI command groups and JSON output |
 | [09_configuration.md](09_configuration.md) | Config schema, presets, and world generation |
 | [10_runner_orchestration.md](10_runner_orchestration.md) | Benchmark runner, dashboard, and session |
+| [11_client_trust.md](11_client_trust.md) | Client trust mechanics, tiers, and reward scaling |
diff --git a/system_design/02_data_models.md b/system_design/02_data_models.md
index 51e7847..e099739 100644
--- a/system_design/02_data_models.md
+++ b/system_design/02_data_models.md
@@ -28,8 +28,16 @@ The benchmark uses SQLAlchemy's declarative ORM over SQLite for several reasons:
        │                         │
        ├────<┌──────────┐────────┘
        │     │   Task   │────<┌─────────────────┐
-       │     └──────────┘     │ TaskRequirement  │  (1 per domain × task)
-       │                      └─────────────────┘
+       │     └────┬─────┘     │ TaskRequirement  │  (1 per domain × task)
+       │          │           └─────────────────┘
+       │          │
+       │          └────>┌──────────┐
+       │                │  Client  │  (task issuer with hidden multiplier)
+       │                └────┬─────┘
+       │                     │
+       ├────<┌───────────────┘
+       │     │  ClientTrust  │  (company ↔ client trust level)
+       │     └──────────────┘
        │
        ├────<┌──────────────┐
        │     │  SimEvent    │  (discrete events queue)
@@ -132,6 +140,28 @@ The benchmark uses SQLAlchemy's declarative ORM over SQLite for several reasons:
 
 **Design choice**: Many-to-many junction table. An employee can work on multiple tasks (throughput splits), and a task can have multiple employees (parallel progress).
 
+### Client (`models/client.py`)
+
+| Column | Type | Notes |
+|--------|------|-------|
+| `id` | UUID (PK) | Auto-generated |
+| `name` | String(255) | Client company name (e.g. "Nexus AI") |
+| `reward_multiplier` | Float | Hidden per-client bonus [0.7, 2.5], not shown to agent |
+| `tier` | String(32) | Agent-visible label: Standard / Premium / Enterprise |
+| `specialty_domains` | JSON | List of 1-2 domain strings (e.g. ["research", "training"]) |
+
+**Design choice**: The `reward_multiplier` is hidden from the agent; only `tier` is visible. This prevents trivially optimal strategy (always pick highest multiplier) and requires the agent to experiment and observe payouts.
+
+### ClientTrust (`models/client.py`)
+
+| Column | Type | Notes |
+|--------|------|-------|
+| `company_id` | UUID (FK, PK) | References Company |
+| `client_id` | UUID (FK, PK) | References Client |
+| `trust_level` | Numeric(6,3) | Range [0.0, 5.0], default 0.000 |
+
+**Design choice**: Composite primary key (company_id, client_id) — one trust level per company-client pair. Trust affects both reward scaling and work reduction. See [11_client_trust.md](11_client_trust.md) for full mechanics.
+
 ### SimEvent (`models/event.py`)
 
 | Column | Type | Notes |
diff --git a/system_design/03_task_system.md b/system_design/03_task_system.md
index 95032be..73a39fd 100644
--- a/system_design/03_task_system.md
+++ b/system_design/03_task_system.md
@@ -51,6 +51,27 @@ def task_accept(task_id):
 
 **Design choice**: Prestige check is per-domain. A task requiring prestige 3.0 with requirements in `research` and `inference` needs prestige >= 3.0 in BOTH domains. This prevents gaming by maxing one domain.
 
+### Trust Gating at Accept Time
+
+~20% of tasks have a `required_trust` field. At acceptance, the agent's trust with the task's client must meet the threshold:
+
+```python
+if task.required_trust > 0 and task.client_id:
+    client_trust = get_trust(company_id, task.client_id)
+    if client_trust < task.required_trust:
+        reject("Insufficient trust with client")
+```
+
+**Design choice**: Trust gating is per-client, not global. High-trust tasks are the most valuable opportunities, gated behind relationship-building with specific clients. See [11_client_trust.md](11_client_trust.md) for full trust mechanics.
+
+### Client Assignment and Reward Scaling
+
+Each task belongs to a specific client. At acceptance:
+
+1. **Reward scaling**: `actual_reward = listed_reward × trust_multiplier` (50% at trust 0, scaling up with trust and client tier)
+2. **Work reduction**: `required_qty *= (1 - trust_work_reduction_max × trust/trust_max)` (up to 40% less work at max trust)
+3. **Replacement generation**: A new market task replaces the accepted one, biased toward the same client's specialty domains
+
 ### Cancel Penalties
 
 Cancelling an active task incurs:
@@ -142,3 +163,9 @@ The `market browse` command supports:
 - Pagination (offset/limit)
 
 All output is JSON for agent consumption.
+
+### Sim Resume Blocking
+
+`yc-bench sim resume` is **blocked** when there are zero active tasks, returning `{"ok": false}` instead of advancing time. This prevents catastrophic payroll drain when the agent has no work in progress. The agent loop filters blocked responses and treats them as no-ops.
+
+The auto-advance mechanism (which forces `sim resume` after N consecutive turns without one) also checks for active tasks before advancing.
diff --git a/system_design/04_prestige_system.md b/system_design/04_prestige_system.md
index 32ea160..1c9dc30 100644
--- a/system_design/04_prestige_system.md
+++ b/system_design/04_prestige_system.md
@@ -121,3 +121,14 @@ The prestige system creates several key strategic tensions:
 4. **Accept vs. Defer**: Taking a task you might fail risks prestige loss; waiting risks decay
 
 These tensions make the benchmark more than just "do tasks fast" -- it tests genuine strategic reasoning.
+
+## Interaction with Client Trust
+
+Prestige and trust are complementary progression axes:
+
+- **Prestige** gates which tasks you *can access* (required_prestige per domain)
+- **Trust** determines how *profitable* those tasks are (reward scaling + work reduction)
+- **Client specialties** bridge the two: clients with specialties in your high-prestige domains offer tasks you can complete quickly, building trust faster
+- **Domain alignment** creates a strategic lever: picking clients whose specialties match your prestige strengths compounds both progression axes
+
+See [11_client_trust.md](11_client_trust.md) for full trust mechanics.
diff --git a/system_design/10_runner_orchestration.md b/system_design/10_runner_orchestration.md
index ebcdfbf..619c7c9 100644
--- a/system_design/10_runner_orchestration.md
+++ b/system_design/10_runner_orchestration.md
@@ -134,6 +134,50 @@ class RunSession:
 
 **Design choice**: Session object encapsulates all run-specific state, making it easy to serialize and manage runs.
 
+## Bot Runner Baselines (`scripts/bot_runner.py`)
+
+The bot runner provides deterministic heuristic baselines that operate under the **same constraints** as the LLM agent:
+
+- Same market visibility (browse limit of 50, prestige/trust gating)
+- Same economic rules (trust multiplier, work reduction, payroll, salary bumps)
+- Same sim resume blocking (no time advance without active tasks)
+- Direct DB access (bypasses CLI parsing overhead but applies identical logic)
+
+### Available Strategies
+
+| Strategy | Selection Heuristic |
+|----------|-------------------|
+| `greedy` | Highest reward among accessible tasks |
+| `random` | Random selection (deterministic via seeded RNG) |
+| `throughput` | Highest reward per estimated completion hour |
+| `prestige` | Phase 1 (prestige < 5): fastest prestige gain. Phase 2: throughput |
+
+### Greedy Baseline Design
+
+The greedy bot is the **"zero strategy" floor** that any competent LLM agent should beat:
+
+- **Sequential execution**: 1 task at a time (`MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS = 1`)
+- **1 task accepted per turn**: Mirrors the LLM's effective pace (browse → accept → assign → dispatch = ~1 task/turn)
+- **All employees assigned**: Every employee works on the single active task
+- **Prestige-aware browsing**: Filters market by `required_prestige <= floor(max_prestige)`, sorted by reward DESC
+- **No completable filter**: All accessible tasks are candidates (blind to actual completion probability)
+- **Tier-average rate estimation**: Uses `E[uniform(0, max_rate)]` per tier for ETA estimates (same information the LLM has)
+- **Trust/prestige gating**: Respects the same acceptance requirements as the LLM
+
+**Design choice**: The greedy bot is intentionally simple — it has no workload management, no client strategy, no domain alignment, and no long-term planning. It picks the highest-paying task it can access and throws all resources at it. This makes it a reliable floor: if an LLM agent can't beat "always pick the biggest number," the agent isn't adding strategic value.
+
+### Usage
+
+```bash
+# Single strategy/config/seed
+uv run python scripts/bot_runner.py --bot greedy --config medium --seed 1
+
+# All strategies × all configs × all seeds
+uv run python scripts/bot_runner.py
+```
+
+Output is written to `results/yc_bench_result_{config}_{seed}_{bot_slug}.json` in the same format as LLM runs, enabling direct comparison in plots.
+
 ## Batch Running (`scripts/`)
 
 ### Multi-Seed Runs
diff --git a/system_design/11_client_trust.md b/system_design/11_client_trust.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..459eee7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system_design/11_client_trust.md
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+# Client Trust System
+
+**Location**: `src/yc_bench/db/models/client.py`, `src/yc_bench/services/generate_clients.py`, `src/yc_bench/core/handlers/task_complete.py`, `src/yc_bench/cli/client_commands.py`
+
+## Overview
+
+Client trust is YC-Bench's second progression axis alongside prestige. While prestige gates *which tasks you can access*, trust determines *how profitable those tasks are*. Every task is offered by a specific client (e.g. "Nexus AI", "Vertex Labs"). Building trust with a client increases payouts and reduces work required, creating a compounding loop that rewards focused relationship-building over scattered effort.
+
+## Design Goals
+
+The trust system was designed to create **genuine strategic diversity** where multiple strategies are viable and no single approach clearly dominates:
+
+| Strategy | Description | Risk | Ceiling |
+|----------|-------------|------|---------|
+| Domain-aligned focus | Pick clients whose specialties match prestige strengths | Low | Medium-High |
+| High-tier gamble | Enterprise clients despite domain mismatch | High | Highest |
+| Conservative | Standard-tier, right domains, profitable day 1 | Lowest | Medium |
+| Diversified | 3-4 clients, broad coverage | Medium | Medium |
+| Trust investor | Cheap tasks from high-tier to build trust early | Medium | High |
+
+## Clients
+
+### Generation (`generate_clients.py`)
+
+Clients are generated at world-seeding time with seeded RNG:
+
+- **Count**: 8 clients (configurable via `num_clients`)
+- **Names**: Drawn from a pool of 15 AI company names (e.g. "Nexus AI", "Cipher Corp")
+- **Reward multiplier**: `triangular(0.7, 2.5, mode=1.0)` — hidden from the agent
+- **Tier**: Derived from multiplier (visible to the agent)
+- **Specialty domains**: 1-2 domains per client (60% get 1, 40% get 2)
+
+### Tiers
+
+Tiers are the agent-visible proxy for the hidden reward multiplier:
+
+| Tier | Multiplier Range | Meaning |
+|------|-----------------|---------|
+| Standard | [0.7, 1.0) | Lower reward ceiling but safer early |
+| Premium | [1.0, 1.7) | Moderate scaling |
+| Enterprise | [1.7, 2.5] | Highest ceiling but requires high trust to be profitable |
+
+**Design choice**: The exact multiplier is hidden. The agent sees only the tier label via `yc-bench client list`. This prevents the trivial strategy of "always pick the highest multiplier" and requires experimentation to discover which clients are most valuable.
+
+### Specialty Domains
+
+Each client has 1-2 specialty domains (e.g. "research", "training"). Tasks from a client are biased toward their specialties:
+
+- **70% chance** the first domain requirement is a specialty domain
+- **30% chance** it's random
+
+This creates domain alignment as a strategic lever — a Premium client whose specialties match your prestige strengths may outperform an Enterprise client in domains where you're weak.
+
+## Trust Mechanics
+
+### Trust Level
+
+Trust is tracked per (company, client) pair in the `ClientTrust` table. Range: [0.0, 5.0].
+
+### Trust Gain (on task success)
+
+```
+gain = trust_gain_base × (1 - trust/trust_max)^trust_gain_diminishing_power
+```
+
+Default parameters:
+- `trust_gain_base`: 0.40
+- `trust_gain_diminishing_power`: 1.5
+- `trust_max`: 5.0
+
+Diminishing returns mean early trust builds fast (~0.40 per task at trust 0) but slows significantly as trust approaches max (~0.07 per task at trust 4).
+
+### Trust Loss
+
+| Event | Penalty |
+|-------|---------|
+| Task failure (late) | -0.3 trust |
+| Task cancellation | -0.5 trust |
+
+### Trust Decay
+
+Trust decays daily at `trust_decay_per_day` (default: 0.015/day). Inactive client relationships erode over time, requiring continued work to maintain.
+
+### Cross-Client Decay
+
+Completing a task for Client A reduces trust with *all other clients* by `trust_cross_client_decay` (default: 0.03). This models exclusivity pressure — clients notice when you spread attention thin. It penalizes scattered work and rewards focusing on 2-3 key clients.
+
+## Reward Scaling
+
+### Trust Reward Formula
+
+```
+actual_reward = listed_reward × trust_multiplier
+
+trust_multiplier = trust_base_multiplier + client_mult² × trust_reward_scale × trust² / trust_max
+```
+
+Default parameters:
+- `trust_base_multiplier`: 0.50 (everyone starts at 50% of listed reward)
+- `trust_reward_scale`: 0.25
+- `trust_max`: 5.0
+
+At trust 0, all clients pay 50% of listed reward regardless of tier. At max trust:
+
+| Tier | Example Mult | Trust Multiplier at trust=5 |
+|------|-------------|---------------------------|
+| Standard | 0.85 | 0.50 + 0.72 × 0.25 × 5 = 1.40 |
+| Premium | 1.3 | 0.50 + 1.69 × 0.25 × 5 = 2.61 |
+| Enterprise | 2.0 | 0.50 + 4.0 × 0.25 × 5 = 5.50 |
+
+**Design choice**: The quadratic scaling on both multiplier and trust creates dramatic tier separation at high trust while keeping all clients roughly equivalent at low trust. Enterprise clients are actually *worse* than Standard at trust 0 (same 50% payout, but harder tasks due to specialty mismatch), making them a genuine investment gamble.
+
+### Work Reduction
+
+```
+work_reduction = trust_work_reduction_max × trust / trust_max
+```
+
+Default `trust_work_reduction_max`: 0.40 (up to 40% less work at max trust).
+
+Applied at task acceptance: each domain's `required_qty` is multiplied by `(1 - work_reduction)`. This compounds with higher rewards — at high trust you earn more in less time.
+
+**Design choice**: Work reduction represents "trusted clients give clearer specs." This creates the compounding loop: trust → less work → faster completion → more tasks per month → more trust → even better returns.
+
+## Trust Gating
+
+~20% of tasks have a `required_trust` field (sampled from `triangular(1, 5, mode=2)`). The agent cannot accept these tasks unless trust with the task's client meets the threshold.
+
+```python
+if task.required_trust > 0:
+    if client_trust < task.required_trust:
+        reject("Insufficient trust with client")
+```
+
+**Design choice**: Trust-gated tasks are the highest-value opportunities. They ensure that building trust is not just about better payouts but also about unlocking premium work that's invisible to low-trust agents.
+
+## Sim Resume Blocking
+
+To prevent catastrophic payroll drain when the agent has no active work, `sim resume` is **blocked** when there are zero active tasks:
+
+```python
+# In sim_commands.py
+if active_count == 0:
+    return {"ok": False, "error": "BLOCKED: No active tasks..."}
+```
+
+The agent loop filters blocked responses (those with `ok: False`) and treats them as no-ops rather than time advances. The auto-advance mechanism in the loop also checks for active tasks before forcing time forward.
+
+**Design choice**: Without this guard, an LLM agent calling `sim resume` while idle would skip months of payroll with zero revenue — a catastrophic and unrecoverable error. The block forces the agent to accept/dispatch work before time can advance.
+
+## Agent Visibility
+
+The agent sees the following via `yc-bench client list`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "client_id": "uuid",
+  "name": "Nexus AI",
+  "trust_level": 1.234,
+  "tier": "Enterprise",
+  "specialties": ["research", "training"]
+}
+```
+
+**Not visible**: exact reward multiplier, trust formula parameters, cross-client decay rate.
+
+Tasks in `market browse` show `client_name` and `required_trust`. The agent must infer client value by observing actual payouts over time.
+
+## Configuration
+
+All trust parameters are in `WorldConfig` (see `config/schema.py`):
+
+| Parameter | Default | Description |
+|-----------|---------|-------------|
+| `num_clients` | 8 | Number of clients |
+| `trust_max` | 5.0 | Maximum trust level |
+| `trust_min` | 0.0 | Minimum trust level |
+| `trust_gain_base` | 0.40 | Base trust gain per success |
+| `trust_gain_diminishing_power` | 1.5 | Diminishing returns exponent |
+| `trust_fail_penalty` | 0.3 | Trust lost on task failure |
+| `trust_cancel_penalty` | 0.5 | Trust lost on task cancellation |
+| `trust_decay_per_day` | 0.015 | Daily trust decay |
+| `trust_cross_client_decay` | 0.03 | Trust erosion with other clients per task |
+| `trust_base_multiplier` | 0.50 | Starting reward fraction (all clients) |
+| `trust_reward_scale` | 0.25 | Trust reward scaling factor |
+| `trust_work_reduction_max` | 0.40 | Max work reduction at max trust |
+
+## Strategic Implications
+
+1. **Focus vs. Diversify**: Cross-client decay penalizes spreading thin, but relying on one client is risky if their specialty doesn't match your prestige growth
+2. **Tier vs. Domain**: An Enterprise client in the wrong domain may underperform a Premium client in the right domain
+3. **Early vs. Late**: Standard clients are more profitable early (same 50% payout, less specialty mismatch), while Enterprise clients only shine at high trust
+4. **Trust as Investment**: Early tasks for a high-tier client are effectively loss-leaders — you earn below-market rates to build a relationship that compounds later
+5. **Hidden Information**: The agent must experiment and observe payouts to discover which clients are truly valuable, creating an exploration-exploitation tradeoff