diff --git a/sloppy.py b/sloppy.py
index 33497a06..ee725162 100644
--- a/sloppy.py
+++ b/sloppy.py
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 import argparse
 import sys
 import os
+import time
+
+# Cold-start anchor: capture wall-clock as the very first executable
+# statement in the entry point. The AppController's startup_timeline()
+# reads this from a module-global so the gap between "Python started"
+# and "AppController init began" is visible (this is typically the
+# largest startup phase: module imports).
+_SLOPPY_COLD_START_TS: float = time.time()
 
 project_root = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 if project_root not in sys.path:
@@ -14,8 +22,11 @@ os.environ["HF_HUB_DISABLE_SYMLINKS_WARNING"] = "1"
 os.environ["HF_HUB_DISABLE_PROGRESS_BARS"] = "1"
 os.environ["TOKENIZERS_PARALLELISM"] = "false"
 
-from defer.sugar import install as _install_defer
-_install_defer()
+from src.startup_profiler import startup_profiler
+
+with startup_profiler.phase("defer_sugar"):
+ from defer.sugar import install as _install_defer
+ _install_defer()
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Manual Slop entry point")
 parser.add_argument("--headless", action="store_true", help="Run in headless mode without GUI")
@@ -25,11 +36,13 @@ parser.add_argument("--enable-test-hooks", action="store_true", help="Enable the
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
 if args.web_host is not None:
-    from imgui_bundle import hello_imgui
-    from src.api_hooks import HookServer
-
-    from src.gui_2 import App
-    app = App()
+    with startup_profiler.phase("web_host_imports"):
+        from imgui_bundle import hello_imgui
+        from src.api_hooks import HookServer
+    with startup_profiler.phase("gui_2_import_webhost"):
+        from src.gui_2 import App
+    with startup_profiler.phase("app_construct"):
+        app = App()
 
     if args.enable_test_hooks:
         hook_server = HookServer(app)
@@ -41,11 +54,17 @@ if args.web_host is not None:
     runner_params.imgui_window_params.default_imgui_window_type = hello_imgui.DefaultImGuiWindowType.provide_full_screen_docker_space
     runner_params.app_window_params.restore_previous_window_size = True
 
-    hello_imgui.run(runner_params, lambda: app.render_frame())
+    with startup_profiler.phase("hello_imgui_run"):
+        hello_imgui.run(runner_params, lambda: app.render_frame())
 elif args.headless:
-    from src.app_controller import AppController
-    controller = AppController(headless=True)
-    controller.run()
+    with startup_profiler.phase("headless_imports"):
+        from src.app_controller import AppController
+    with startup_profiler.phase("appcontroller_construct_headless"):
+        controller = AppController(headless=True)
+    with startup_profiler.phase("appcontroller_run"):
+        controller.run()
 else:
-    from src.gui_2 import main
-    main()
\ No newline at end of file
+    with startup_profiler.phase("gui_2_main_import"):
+        from src.gui_2 import main
+    with startup_profiler.phase("main_call"):
+        main()
\ No newline at end of file