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Summary

This PR improves the onboarding experience for first-time contributors by
making the project purpose clearer and adding a short, actionable path to
getting started.

The goal is to reduce initial cognitive load before contributors dive into the
full documentation.

Motivation

While reading the README and CONTRIBUTING guide as a new contributor, I found
that:

  • The README explains what Zulip is very well, but doesn’t clearly answer
    “what should I do first?” for contributors.
  • The CONTRIBUTING guide is thorough, but can feel overwhelming without a brief
    high-level entry point.

This PR adds lightweight structure to address those gaps without changing any
existing contribution policies.

What’s changed

README

  • Added a short “What is this?” section to clarify project purpose
  • Added a 5-minute quick start with a simple, linear setup flow
  • Included common commands and a brief project structure overview
  • Added clear pointers to next steps and contributor documentation

CONTRIBUTING

  • Added a step-by-step outline of the contribution flow from fork to merged PR
  • Clarified different types of contributions (including documentation)
  • Added a small FAQ addressing common beginner questions
  • Linked to deeper documentation for contributors who want more detail

Scope and intent

  • Documentation-only changes
  • No changes to contribution requirements or review process
  • Focused on clarity and approachability for new contributors

Testing

N/A (documentation-only changes)

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2 participants