diff --git a/start/start.go b/start/start.go
index 425fa47..3352917 100644
--- a/start/start.go
+++ b/start/start.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
@@ -71,19 +73,84 @@ func checkDockerCompose() string {
 }
 
 func checkRequiredEnvVars(envvars map[string]string) {
-	requiredVars := []string{
-		"DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY",
-		"DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY",
+	absent_env := false
+	if envvars["DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY"] == "" {
+		fmt.Println("DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY env-var is not set, getting it interactively")
+		skey, err := getDknSecretKey()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error during user input: %s\n", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		envvars["DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY"] = skey
+		absent_env = true
 	}
-	for _, v := range requiredVars {
-		_, exists := envvars[v]
-		if !exists {
-			fmt.Printf("ERROR: %s environment variable is not set.\n", v)
+
+	if envvars["DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY"] == "" {
+		fmt.Println("DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY env-var is not set, getting it interactively")
+		akey, err := getDknAdminPublicKey()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error during user input: %s\n", err)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
+		envvars["DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY"] = akey
+		absent_env = true
+	}
+
+	if absent_env {
+		// dump the .env file for future usages
+		fmt.Printf("Dumping the given env-vars to .env\n\n")
+		godotenv.Write(envvars, "./.env")
+
 	}
 }
 
+func getDknSecretKey() (string, error) {
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
+	// get DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY
+	fmt.Print("Please enter your DKN Wallet Secret Key (32-bytes hex encoded): ")
+	skey, err := reader.ReadString('\n')
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't get DKN Wallet Secret Key")
+	}
+	skey = strings.Split(skey, "\n")[0]
+	skey = strings.TrimSpace(skey)
+	skey = strings.TrimPrefix(skey, "0x")
+	// decode the hex string into bytes
+	decoded_skey, err := hex.DecodeString(skey)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("DKN Wallet Secret Key should be 32-bytes hex encoded")
+	}
+	// ensure the decoded bytes are exactly 32 bytes
+	if len(decoded_skey) != 32 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("DKN Wallet Secret Key should be 32 bytes long")
+	}
+	return skey, nil
+}
+
+func getDknAdminPublicKey() (string, error) {
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
+
+	// get DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY
+	fmt.Print("Please enter DKN Admin Public Key (32-bytes hex encoded, you can get it from .env.example): ")
+	admin_pkey, err := reader.ReadString('\n')
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't get DKN Admin Public Key")
+	}
+	admin_pkey = strings.Split(admin_pkey, "\n")[0]
+	admin_pkey = strings.TrimSpace(admin_pkey)
+	admin_pkey = strings.TrimPrefix(admin_pkey, "0x")
+	// decode the hex string into bytes
+	decoded_admin_pkey, err := hex.DecodeString(admin_pkey)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("DKN Admin Public Key should be 32-bytes hex encoded")
+	}
+	// ensure the decoded bytes are exactly 33 bytes
+	if len(decoded_admin_pkey) != 33 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("DKN Admin Public Key should be 33 bytes long")
+	}
+	return admin_pkey, nil
+}
+
 func mapToList(m map[string]string) []string {
 	var list []string
 	for key, value := range m {
@@ -178,20 +245,37 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Println("Setting up the environment...")
+	fmt.Printf("Setting up the environment...\n\n")
 
 	// Check Docker Compose
 	composeCommand := checkDockerCompose()
 
 	// Load .env file if exists
-	var envvars map[string]string
 	envvars, err := godotenv.Read("./.env")
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("Error during loading .env: ", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		// if .env is not exists or required vars are absent, get them from terminal
+		fmt.Println("Couldn't load .env file")
+		fmt.Println("Getting required env vars interactively")
+		skey, err := getDknSecretKey()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error during user input: %s\n", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+
+		akey, err := getDknAdminPublicKey()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error during user input: %s\n", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+
+		envvars["DKN_WALLET_SECRET_KEY"] = skey
+		envvars["DKN_ADMIN_PUBLIC_KEY"] = akey
+		// dump the .env file for future usages
+		fmt.Printf("Dumping the given env-vars to .env\n\n")
+		godotenv.Write(envvars, "./.env")
+
 	}
 
-	// Check required environment variables
 	checkRequiredEnvVars(envvars)
 
 	// use models given with -m flag
@@ -254,9 +338,9 @@ func main() {
 				} else if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
 					envvars["OLLAMA_HOST"] = LOCAL_HOST
 					DKN_DOCKER_NETWORK_MODE = "host"
-				// } else if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-				// 	// TODO test for windows
-				// 	envvars["OLLAMA_HOST"] = LOCAL_HOST
+					// } else if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+					// 	// TODO test for windows
+					// 	envvars["OLLAMA_HOST"] = LOCAL_HOST
 				}
 			} else {
 				// although --docker-ollama was not passed, we checked and couldnt find Ollama