diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/why.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/why.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9666fd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/why.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import * as os from 'node:os';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { CLIOptions } from '../index';
+import { quickstartCommand } from '../commands/why';
+
+const baseOptions: CLIOptions = {
+  configPath: '.charter',
+  format: 'text',
+  ciMode: false,
+  yes: false,
+};
+
+const originalCwd = process.cwd();
+const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+
+function makeTempDir(): string {
+  const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'charter-why-test-'));
+  tempDirs.push(dir);
+  return dir;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  process.chdir(originalCwd);
+  while (tempDirs.length > 0) {
+    const dir = tempDirs.pop();
+    if (dir) fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe('quickstartCommand — not-installed repo shows adoption pitch', () => {
+  it('prints adoption pitch and returns 0 when no .charter/config.json present', async () => {
+    const tmp = makeTempDir();
+    process.chdir(tmp);
+
+    const logs: string[] = [];
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((msg: string) => logs.push(msg ?? ''));
+
+    const exit = await quickstartCommand({ ...baseOptions, configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter') });
+
+    expect(exit).toBe(0);
+    const output = logs.join('\n');
+    expect(output).toContain('Charter Quickstart');
+    expect(output).toContain('Why teams use Charter');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('governance snapshot');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('quickstartCommand — installed repo shows posture view', () => {
+  let tmp: string;
+  let logs: string[];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tmp = makeTempDir();
+    process.chdir(tmp);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, '.charter'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'config.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ project: 'test', git: { requireTrailers: true } }),
+    );
+    logs = [];
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((msg: string) => logs.push(msg ?? ''));
+  });
+
+  it('shows governance snapshot header instead of adoption pitch', async () => {
+    const exit = await quickstartCommand({ ...baseOptions, configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter') });
+
+    expect(exit).toBe(0);
+    const output = logs.join('\n');
+    expect(output).toContain('governance snapshot');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('Why teams use Charter');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('Charter Quickstart');
+  });
+
+  it('shows active pattern count', async () => {
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns'));
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns', 'test.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ patterns: [
+        { id: 'p1', name: 'Pattern One', status: 'ACTIVE', blessed_solution: 'do x', anti_patterns: 'avoid y' },
+        { id: 'p2', name: 'Pattern Two', status: 'ACTIVE', blessed_solution: 'do z', anti_patterns: 'avoid w' },
+      ] }),
+    );
+
+    await quickstartCommand({ ...baseOptions, configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter') });
+
+    expect(logs.join('\n')).toContain('2 active');
+  });
+
+  it('exits 0 in ci mode when coverage and patterns are both ok', async () => {
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns'));
+    const patterns = Array.from({ length: 3 }, (_, i) => ({
+      id: `p${i}`, name: `P${i}`, status: 'ACTIVE', blessed_solution: 'x', anti_patterns: 'y',
+    }));
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns', 'test.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ patterns }),
+    );
+
+    const exit = await quickstartCommand({
+      ...baseOptions,
+      configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter'),
+      ciMode: true,
+    });
+    // No git repo in tmp → coverage=0 → fail signal, but patterns ≥3 ok.
+    // Coverage 0% → fail → ci mode should return POLICY_VIOLATION (1).
+    expect(exit).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('exits 1 in ci mode when patterns is 0 (fail signal)', async () => {
+    const exit = await quickstartCommand({
+      ...baseOptions,
+      configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter'),
+      ciMode: true,
+    });
+    expect(exit).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('quickstartCommand --format json', () => {
+  it('includes activePatterns in JSON output for installed repo', async () => {
+    const tmp = makeTempDir();
+    process.chdir(tmp);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'config.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ project: 'test' }),
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmp, '.charter', 'patterns', 'p.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ patterns: [{ id: 'x', name: 'X', status: 'ACTIVE', blessed_solution: 'a', anti_patterns: 'b' }] }),
+    );
+
+    const logs: string[] = [];
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((msg: string) => logs.push(msg ?? ''));
+
+    await quickstartCommand({ ...baseOptions, format: 'json', configPath: path.join(tmp, '.charter') });
+
+    const data = JSON.parse(logs[0]);
+    expect(data).toHaveProperty('activePatterns');
+    expect(data.activePatterns).toBe(1);
+    expect(data).toHaveProperty('hasBaseline', true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/why.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/why.ts
index c198da5..5946103 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/why.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/why.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import { EXIT_CODE } from '../index';
 import { parseAllTrailers, assessCommitRisk } from '@stackbilt/git';
 import type { GitCommit } from '@stackbilt/types';
 import { runGit, isGitRepo, hasCommits, parseCommitMetadata, parseChangedFilesByCommit } from '../git-helpers';
+import { loadPatterns } from '../config';
+
+type Signal = 'ok' | 'warn' | 'fail';
 
 interface SnapshotResult {
   inGitRepo: boolean;
@@ -12,9 +15,26 @@ interface SnapshotResult {
   commitsScanned: number;
   coveragePercent: number;
   highRiskUnlinked: number;
+  activePatterns: number;
   nextAction: string;
 }
 
+function coverageSignal(pct: number): Signal {
+  if (pct >= 50) return 'ok';
+  if (pct >= 10) return 'warn';
+  return 'fail';
+}
+
+function patternSignal(count: number): Signal {
+  if (count >= 3) return 'ok';
+  if (count >= 1) return 'warn';
+  return 'fail';
+}
+
+function signalTag(s: Signal): string {
+  return s === 'ok' ? '' : s === 'warn' ? '  [warn]' : '  [fail]';
+}
+
 export async function quickstartCommand(options: CLIOptions): Promise<number> {
   const snapshot = getSnapshot(options.configPath);
 
@@ -23,6 +43,34 @@ export async function quickstartCommand(options: CLIOptions): Promise<number> {
     return EXIT_CODE.SUCCESS;
   }
 
+  if (snapshot.hasBaseline) {
+    return printPostureView(snapshot, options.ciMode);
+  }
+
+  return printAdoptionPitch(snapshot);
+}
+
+function printPostureView(snapshot: SnapshotResult, ci: boolean): number {
+  const covSig = coverageSignal(snapshot.coveragePercent);
+  const patSig = patternSignal(snapshot.activePatterns);
+  const hasFail = covSig === 'fail' || patSig === 'fail';
+
+  const date = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+  console.log('');
+  console.log(`  charter — governance snapshot (${date})`);
+  console.log(`    Coverage:  ${snapshot.coveragePercent}% of last ${snapshot.commitsScanned} commits${signalTag(covSig)}`);
+  console.log(`    Patterns:  ${snapshot.activePatterns} active${signalTag(patSig)}`);
+  if (snapshot.highRiskUnlinked > 0) {
+    console.log(`    Risk:      ${snapshot.highRiskUnlinked} high-risk commit(s) without governance links  [warn]`);
+  }
+  console.log('');
+  console.log("  Run 'charter audit' for full report · 'charter why' for adoption info");
+  console.log('');
+
+  return ci && hasFail ? EXIT_CODE.POLICY_VIOLATION : EXIT_CODE.SUCCESS;
+}
+
+function printAdoptionPitch(snapshot: SnapshotResult): number {
   console.log('');
   console.log('  Charter Quickstart');
   console.log('  Turns governance from abstract policy into merge-time guardrails.');
@@ -89,6 +137,7 @@ export async function whyCommand(options: CLIOptions): Promise<number> {
 function getSnapshot(configPath: string): SnapshotResult {
   const inGitRepo = isGitRepo();
   const hasBaseline = fs.existsSync(path.join(configPath, 'config.json'));
+  const activePatterns = hasBaseline ? loadPatterns(configPath).filter((p) => p.status === 'ACTIVE').length : 0;
 
   if (!inGitRepo) {
     return {
@@ -97,6 +146,7 @@ function getSnapshot(configPath: string): SnapshotResult {
       commitsScanned: 0,
       coveragePercent: 0,
       highRiskUnlinked: 0,
+      activePatterns,
       nextAction: 'Run this inside a git repository, then run: charter setup --ci github',
     };
   }
@@ -128,6 +178,7 @@ function getSnapshot(configPath: string): SnapshotResult {
     commitsScanned: commits.length,
     coveragePercent,
     highRiskUnlinked,
+    activePatterns,
     nextAction,
   };
 }