diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1b64c9fc6e..62959a8e5c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,37 @@
 # Figgy
 
+A digital repository application using [Valkyrie](https://github.com/samvera-labs/valkyrie) for persistence.
+Figgy is a proof-of-concept port of [Plum](https://github.com/pulibrary/plum) to Valkyrie to explore
+functionality, performance, and scalability.
+
+
+## Initial Setup
+
+```sh
+git clone https://github.com/pulibrary/figgy.git
+cd figgy
+bundle install
+```
+
 ## Setup server
 
 1. For test:
+   - `RAILS_ENV=test rake db:setup`
    - `rake server:test`
+   - In a separate terminal: `rspec`
 2. For development:
+   - ``export SECRET_KEY_BASE=`rake secret` ``
+   - `rake db:setup`
    - `rake server:development`
+   - In a separate terminal: `rails s`
+   - Access Figgy at http://localhost:3000/
+
+
+## Background workers
+
+Some tasks are performed by background workers. To run a Sidekiq background worker process to execute
+background jobs that are queued:
+
+```
+bundle exec sidekiq
+```