diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f76f549
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Wubloader is a system for saving, re-serving and cutting into videos of a target
+twitch (or probably other HLS, but some twitch specifics are assumed) stream.
+
+It was designed to serve the needs of the [Video Strike Team](https://vst.ninja)
+as part of [Desert Bus For Hope](https://desertbus.org).
+
+A full design doc can be read at [initial-design-doc.pdf](../blob/master/initial-design-doc.pdf),
+but a brief overview of the components:
+
+* Downloader grabs segments from twitch and saves them to disk
+* Restreamer serves segments from disk as well as playlist files allowing them to be streamed
+* Backfiller queries restreamers of other servers in order to pick up segments this server doesn't have already,
+  ie. it replicates missing segments.
+* Cutter interacts with a database to perform cutting jobs
+* Sheet Sync syncs specifc database columns to a google doc which is the primary operator interface.
+
+All components are built as docker images.
+Components which access the disk expect a shared directory mounted at `/mnt`.