Project Scaffolding Skill

First impressions matter. Set projects up for success.

Essential Files

File	Purpose
README.md	Hero banner + overview + quick start
CONTRIBUTING.md	How to contribute
LICENSE.md	Legal terms
CHANGELOG.md	Version history
.gitignore	Ignored files
.editorconfig	Consistent formatting

README Structure

<!-- Hero SVG banner -->
# Project Name

> One-line description

## Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2

## Quick Start
[3 commands max]

## Documentation
[Links]

## License
[Badge + link]

Hero Banner Pattern

• Width: 800-1200px
• Height: 200-400px
• Include: Logo, tagline, 3-5 key features
• Format: SVG (scalable), PNG fallback
• Dark/light mode variants

Documentation Folder

docs/
├── README.md           # Index
├── QUICK-START.md      # 5-min guide
├── ARCHITECTURE.md     # System design
├── API.md              # Reference
└── CONTRIBUTING.md     # Dev guide

Planning Files

File	When
ROADMAP.md	Multi-phase projects
TODO.md	Simple task tracking
DECISIONS.md	Architecture decisions
RISKS.md	Known risks

Config Files by Stack

Stack	Essential Configs
Node.js	package.json, tsconfig.json, .nvmrc
Python	pyproject.toml, requirements.txt
VS Code	.vscode/settings.json, launch.json
GitHub	.github/workflows/, CODEOWNERS

Quality Gates

• README has hero banner
• Quick start works in < 5 min
• License specified
• Contributing guide exists
• .gitignore appropriate for stack

Synapses

See synapses.json for connections.