Writing a README

First response

When this skill is invoked, first ask: "What is the project about, in one sentence?"

Why this matters

A README is read by people deciding, in under a minute, whether to keep reading. The GitHub ecosystem has converged on a fairly consistent structure across thousands of template repos precisely because it works: it front-loads "what is this and why should I care" before "how do I configure the advanced options." Departing from that order — even with great content — makes a README harder to skim and more likely to get closed.

Three lineages dominate the template landscape, and it's worth knowing all three because they optimize for different things: