diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/DEVELOP.md b/templates/keynote-2/DEVELOP.md
index 3c1c5b83783..1451abafe7d 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/DEVELOP.md
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/DEVELOP.md
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ From `src/cli.ts`:
 
 - **`--alpha A`**
   - Zipf α parameter for account selection (hot vs cold distribution)
-  - Default: `0.5`
+  - Default: `1.5`
 
 - **`--connectors list`**
   - Optional, comma-separated list of connector `system` names
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/README.md b/templates/keynote-2/README.md
index f4603a3982d..4af1b9ace47 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/README.md
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/README.md
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ docker compose up -d pg crdb
 npm run prep
 
 # Run benchmark
-npm run bench -- --seconds 10 --concurrency 50 --alpha 0 --connectors spacetimedb,postgres_rpc,sqlite_rpc
+npm run bench -- --seconds 10 --concurrency 50 --alpha 1.5 --connectors spacetimedb,postgres_rpc,sqlite_rpc
 ```
 
 ## Output
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid-crdb.yml b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid-crdb.yml
index 3e0053aed6e..f41210721c5 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid-crdb.yml
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid-crdb.yml
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
     volumes:
       - /mnt/local-ssd/sqlite_data:/data
       - ./runs:/app/runs
-    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
+    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1.5", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
     network_mode: host
 
   sqlite-seed:
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid.yml b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid.yml
index f67ad919078..fc1f9371594 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid.yml
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose-linux-raid.yml
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@
     volumes:
       - /mnt/local-ssd/sqlite_data:/data
       - ./runs:/app/runs
-    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
+    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1.5", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
     network_mode: host
 
   sqlite-seed:
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose.yml b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose.yml
index a20879ed977..aab6734c923 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/docker-compose.yml
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@
     volumes:
       - sqlite_data:/data
       - ./runs:/app/runs
-    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
+    command: ["--seconds", "5", "--concurrency", "50", "--alpha", "1.5", "--connectors", "sqlite"]
     network_mode: host
 
   sqlite-seed:
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/spacetimedb-rust-client/src/main.rs b/templates/keynote-2/spacetimedb-rust-client/src/main.rs
index dfb430608e6..05aa572b844 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/spacetimedb-rust-client/src/main.rs
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/spacetimedb-rust-client/src/main.rs
@@ -21,13 +21,12 @@ const LOCALHOST: &str = "http://localhost:3000";
 const MODULE: &str = "sim";
 
 const DURATION: &str = "5s";
-const WARMUP_DURATION: &str = "5s";
-const ALPHA: f32 = 0.5;
+const ALPHA: f32 = 1.5;
 const CONNECTIONS: usize = 10;
 const INIT_BALANCE: i64 = 1_000_000;
 const AMOUNT: u32 = 1;
 const ACCOUNTS: u32 = 100_000;
-const CONFIRMED_READS: bool = false;
+const CONFIRMED_READS: bool = true;
 // Max inflight reducer calls imposed by the server.
 const MAX_INFLIGHT_REDUCERS: u64 = 16384;
 
@@ -139,9 +138,11 @@ fn bench(cli: &Common, bench: &Bench) {
         println!();
     }
 
-    // Parse the durations.
+    // Parse the duration.
     let duration = parse_duration(&bench.duration).expect("invalid duration passed");
-    let warmup_duration = parse_duration(&bench.warmup_duration).expect("invalid warmup duration passed");
+    if !cli.quiet {
+        eprintln!("benchmarking for {}...", format_duration(duration));
+    }
 
     // Initialize connections.
     let connections = bench.connections;
@@ -160,15 +161,10 @@ fn bench(cli: &Common, bench: &Bench) {
     let transfer_pairs = &make_transfers(accounts, alpha);
     let transfers_per_worker = transfer_pairs.len() / conns.len();
 
-    let warmup_start_all = Instant::now();
-    let mut start_all = warmup_start_all;
-    let barrier = &std::sync::Barrier::new(conns.len());
+    let mut start_all = Instant::now();
     let completed = Arc::new(AtomicU64::default());
 
     thread::scope(|scope| {
-        if !cli.quiet {
-            eprintln!("warming up for {}...", format_duration(warmup_duration));
-        }
         let mut start_all = Some(&mut start_all);
         for (worker_idx, (mut rx, tx)) in conns.into_iter().enumerate() {
             let completed = completed.clone();
@@ -214,14 +210,6 @@ fn bench(cli: &Common, bench: &Bench) {
                     transfers
                 };
 
-                while warmup_start_all.elapsed() < warmup_duration {
-                    run();
-                }
-
-                if barrier.wait().is_leader() && !cli.quiet {
-                    eprintln!("finished warmup...");
-                    eprintln!("benchmarking for {}...", format_duration(duration));
-                }
                 let start = Instant::now();
                 if let Some(start_all) = start_all {
                     *start_all = start;
@@ -315,9 +303,6 @@ struct Bench {
     #[arg(short, long, default_value = DURATION)]
     duration: String,
 
-    #[arg(short, long, default_value = WARMUP_DURATION)]
-    warmup_duration: String,
-
     #[arg(short, long)]
     tps_write_path: Option<String>,
 }
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/src/cli.ts b/templates/keynote-2/src/cli.ts
index 3b1a26ec936..0ce7ea5721b 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/src/cli.ts
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/src/cli.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ let seconds = 1,
   accounts = process.env.SEED_ACCOUNTS
     ? Number(process.env.SEED_ACCOUNTS)
     : 100_000,
-  alpha = 0.5,
+  alpha = 1.5,
   connectors: string[] | null = null,
   contentionTests: {
     startAlpha: number;
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class BenchmarkTester {
     startConc: number = 1,
     endConc: number = 100,
     step: number = 1,
-    alpha: number = 1,
+    alpha: number = 1.5,
   ) {
     const results: { concurrency: number; avgResult: RunResult }[] = [];
     for (let conc = startConc; conc <= endConc; conc += step) {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class BenchmarkTester {
     startConc: number = 1,
     endConc: number = 100,
     factor: number = 2,
-    alpha: number = 1,
+    alpha: number = 1.5,
   ) {
     if (factor <= 1) {
       throw new Error('factor must be > 1 to avoid infinite loop');
diff --git a/templates/keynote-2/src/demo.ts b/templates/keynote-2/src/demo.ts
index 7a4a27e61d5..099bd974b55 100644
--- a/templates/keynote-2/src/demo.ts
+++ b/templates/keynote-2/src/demo.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function hasFlag(name: string): boolean {
 
 const seconds = getArg('seconds', 10);
 const concurrency = getArg('concurrency', 10);
-const alpha = getArg('alpha', 0.5);
+const alpha = getArg('alpha', 1.5);
 const systems = getStringArg('systems', 'convex,spacetimedb')
   .split(',')
   .map((s) => s.trim());