Free skeletons · MIT-spirit

Dev README Skeleton Pack

6 copy-paste README structures for real projects. Your README is your landing page — most visitors read it instead of your docs. Stop staring at a blank file.

1. Library / Package npm · pip · cargo
# {name}

{One sentence: what it does, for whom. If it needs a paragraph, the API is too big.}

## Install
$ pip install {name}

## Quick start
```{lang}
{5-line minimal example that produces visible output}
```

## Why {name}
- {Specific pain it removes} — not "fast and lightweight"
- {Constraint it respects: zero deps / works offline / 5kb}

## Docs
{link} · API reference {link}

## License
{license}
2. CLI Tool brew · cargo install · go install
# {name}

{What it does} — from your terminal, without {the GUI/spreadsheet/service it replaces}.

## Install
$ brew install {name}

## Usage
$ {name} {primary-command} {input} --{main-flag}

{8-line example with real output, not "..."}

## Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| {cmd} | {one line} |

## FAQ
**Why not just {incumbent}?** {Honest one-liner — this section converts skeptics.]

## License {license}
3. API / Service self-hostable + cloud
# {name}

{What it serves, in endpoint terms}. Self-host in one docker command, or use the cloud at {url}.

## Quickstart (self-host)
$ docker run -p 8080:8080 {image}

## API
POST /{resource} — {what it does}
```json
{  "request": "example",  "response": "example" }
```

## Self-hosted vs Cloud
| | Self-hosted | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | free | ${x}/mo |
| You manage | backups, upgrades | nothing |

## License {license} · Cloud ToS {link}
4. App (mobile/desktop) screenshots are the hero
# {name}

{One-liner}. {Platform} · {price}.

## What it does - {Job 1} - {Job 2} - {Job 3} ## Install {App Store / Play / .dmg / .exe links — badge buttons} ## Privacy {One honest paragraph. For apps this section is trust, not legal.} ## Roadmap {3 near items, dated. Shows it's alive.}
5. Template / Boilerplate start-here projects
# {name} — {stack} starter

{What the user has running in 5 minutes}: {stack summary}. No config archaeology.

## What's included
- {Feature 1, wired}
- {Feature 2, wired}
- {Auth/payments/etc, wired}

## Get started
$ npx create-{name} my-app
$ cd my-app && npm run dev

## What it deliberately excludes
{2-3 lines — opinionated omissions prevent 90% of the issues tab.}

## License {license}
6. Experiment / Research repo demos & papers
# {name}

{What was tested/built}. This is research code: it works for the paper's cases.

**Read the writeup →** {link}

## Reproduce
$ {exact commands, pinned versions}

## Results
{Table or chart: the repo exists to make this verifiable.}

## Citation
```bibtex
{bibtex}
```

## License {license} — code; results under {CC license}
These skeletons are the free tier. The full pack adds: per-section fill-in guides (what to write, what to skip), badge/shield setups, 3 worked examples per type, and a "README lint" checklist. Ships with the Indie Landing Copy Pack ecosystem — grab the Rate Calculator while you're pricing your work.