And It Was Written: An Introspective on the Importance of READMEs

Have you ever stumbled upon a fascinating repository, only to find yourself completely lost within minutes? No setup instructions, no explanation of what the project actually does, and certainly no guidance on how to get started. You close the tab and move on, and just like that, someone’s hard work becomes another forgotten corner of the internet.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or someone just starting your coding journey, side projects are a great way to learn, experiment, and showcase your skills. But there’s a highly overlooked factor that can make the difference between a project that thrives and one that’s forgotten: documentation. Good documentation—starting with a solid README—acts as the voice of your project. It explains what you’ve built, why you built it, and how others can use it. Without it, even the most clever code can languish unseen and unused. And who wants to be lost and clueless?

What Exactly Is A README?

A README is usually the very first file someone encounters when visiting your project repository—often displayed immediately on platforms like GitHub or GitLab. Think of it as the foyer to your work, offering visitors an accessible overview before they dive into the project itself. A typical README should include:

• Project name and description – Explain what the project does and why it’s useful
• Setup instructions – Provide clear steps to install and run the project
• Usage examples – Show the project in action
• Contribution & license details – Outline how others can participate and under what terms

The README acts as the “face” of your project, inviting others in, showing professionalism and consideration, and guiding users on their first steps. It’s your project’s elevator pitch, concierge, and instruction manual all rolled into one.

Why Documentation Matters

Without proper documentation, your project is like a building without telling people where the front door is. Here’s why documentation (and especially READMEs) are critical:

Collaboration and onboarding – If you share your code, good docs help others and future you quickly understand how things work. There’s nothing worse than revisiting your own code six months later and having no idea what you were thinking.

Project adoption & longevity – People are far more likely to use or contribute to projects that are easy to understand and set up. It’s also great if there’s a documented track record of how code is released, contributing to its long-term health and viability.

Professionalism – A well-documented project reflects care, quality, and reliability. It shows potential employers or collaborators that you think beyond just making code work.

Avoiding confusion – Without documentation, users may misinterpret your project’s purpose or implementation, leading to frustration for everyone involved.

Principles of Good Documentation

Creating effective documentation doesn’t mean writing a novel—it’s about being clear, concise, and structured. Keep these principles in mind:

Clarity over cleverness – Write simply. Avoid unexplained jargon. If your grandmother can’t understand what your project does from reading the first paragraph, you might need to simplify.

Logical order – Guide the reader naturally from introduction to setup to usage. Think of it as telling a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

User-first approach – Think like someone encountering your work for the first time. What’s the first thing they’d need to know? Follow the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Keep it up to date – Outdated documentation can frustrate users more than having none at all. There’s nothing more infuriating than following setup instructions that don’t work because they’re three versions behind.

Essential Elements of a Great README

If you include nothing else, make sure your README covers these essentials:

Project Title & Description – A one- or two-sentence summary of what your project does. Make it count—this is your hook.

Installation Instructions – Clear steps for setup. Commands should be copy-paste ready. Test these instructions on a fresh machine to make sure they actually work.

Usage Examples – Show the most common use cases. Screenshots, screen recordings, and GIFs are a huge plus here. Visual learners will thank you.

Features – Highlight the key capabilities and what your project should do. This helps users quickly assess if your project fits their needs.

Configuration – Explain how users can tweak settings. Even if your project works out of the box, people love to customize.

Contributing Guidelines – Let others know how they can help improve your project. Open source thrives on contribution.

License – State the terms clearly (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0). Don’t leave people guessing about how they can legally use your work.

Contact/Support – Who to contact for questions or reporting issues. Be accessible, but set boundaries.

Expanding Beyond the README

For small side projects, a robust README may be enough. But as your project grows, consider:

Wikis – For deep dives into concepts or architecture. GitHub wikis are perfect for this.

API documentation – Auto-generated docs using tools like Sphinx (Python), JSDoc (JavaScript), or MkDocs. Let the tools do the heavy lifting.

Inline comments – Self-explanatory code is best, but well-placed comments are invaluable. Future you will appreciate the breadcrumbs.

Organizing documentation into dedicated sections or a /docs folder can prevent confusion as your project scales. Think of it as creating different rooms in your documentation house.

Best Practices for Side Project Documentation

Start with the README—even before coding. It forces you to clarify your project’s purpose and can actually help guide your development process.

Document as you go. Don’t wait until the end—it’s harder to recall steps later, and you’ll inevitably forget something important.

Use visuals like screenshots, diagrams, or badges to make documentation engaging. A picture really is worth a thousand words.

Leverage templates – Many README generators exist online, ensuring you don’t miss important sections. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to.

Remember, documentation is not just about explaining what you built—it’s about making your project accessible to the world.

Real-World Examples

Looking for inspiration? Check out these excellent examples:

Vue.js’s README clearly explains the purpose, includes code examples, and links to extended documentation. It’s clean, professional, and gets you excited to use the framework.

freeCodeCamp’s repository uses badges, visuals, and contribution guidelines that actively invite participation. They make contributing feel welcoming rather than intimidating.

Even small improvements—like adding installation commands or a usage demo—can dramatically improve your README’s impact. You don’t need to write a novel; you just need to write clearly.

Common Documentation Mistakes

Outdated instructions – Always update docs when you change code. Nothing breaks trust faster than instructions that don’t work.

Missing setup steps – Test your README from scratch on a clean machine to ensure nothing is missing. What seems obvious to you might not be obvious to others.

Technical overload too soon – Begin with basic usage, then move advanced details further down. Hook people with simplicity first.

Ignoring your audience – Write for the skill level you expect your audience to have. If you’re building a beginner-friendly tool, don’t assume they know advanced concepts.

Things to Consider

The best documentation is living documentation that grows with your project. Don’t treat it as a one-time task—make it part of your development workflow. When you add a feature, update the docs. When you fix a bug that required special setup, document the solution.

Remember that your future self is also your user. That clever hack you implemented at 2 AM? Document it. That specific environment configuration that took you hours to figure out? Write it down. You’ll thank yourself later.

Consider your documentation as part of your personal brand. Every well-documented project is a showcase of your professionalism and attention to detail. Employers notice these things.

Final Thoughts

A side project is more than just code—it’s a communication tool for your skills, creativity, and problem-solving approach. By investing in a well-structured README and thoughtful documentation, you:

• Make your project welcoming and accessible
• Increase its chance of adoption, use, and contributions
• Build habits that will benefit you in professional settings
• Create a lasting impact beyond just working code

Action step: Take one of your existing side projects and spend 30 minutes improving its README. Add missing setup instructions, a usage example, and a contact section. Your future self—and your users—will thank you.

Documentation isn’t just about explaining code—it’s about building bridges between your ideas and the people who can benefit from them. Make those bridges strong and welcoming.

Additional Resources

For those feeling adventurous and wanting to dive deeper:

• Choose an Open Source License - Because legal clarity matters
• Awesome README - A curated list of awesome READMEs
• Make a README - A simple template for you to follow

Disclaimer

This article is a personal reflection on the importance of documentation, particularly READMEs, in the context of projects ( in our usecase, side projects). It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to documentation, but rather a personal account of my experiences, insights, and recommendations. It may also be under constant revision and improvements as seen and needed.