better-readme
Better README
A README is the consumer's first — and maybe only — look at the project. It is also the project's contract: the documentation, not the code, defines what the project does and what it promises to keep stable. No README means no abstraction — readers must read the source to learn the interface, and the interface/implementation boundary disappears. The job is not to sell; it is to let each reader evaluate fit as fast as possible, including bailing out early. Structure every README as a cognitive funnel: broadest, most decision-relevant facts first, deeper detail only for readers who already decided to stay.
The reference framework is noffle's Art of README. An archived copy lives in this skill at references/art-of-readme.md — the upstream repository link has gone offline, so consult the local copy when you need the original checklist or the reasoning behind a rule. Do not reproduce it in the READMEs you write — apply it.