diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9bfd7a7..95767b2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # allowed misc files
 !.gitmodules
 !.gitignore
+!README.md
 
 # allow some stuff to be pushed
 !tmux
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f801b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# .dotfiles
+
+## setup cheat sheet
+
+1. install [zsh](https://www.zsh.org/)
+2. install [oh-my-zsh](https://ohmyz.sh/)
+    - install [zsh-nvm](https://github.com/lukechilds/zsh-nvm)
+    - install [zsh-autosuggestions](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions)
+    - install [zsh-syntax-highlighting](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting)
+3. install [go](https://go.dev/)
+4. install [ggman](https://github.com/tkw1536/ggman)
+5. install [pyenv](https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv) to $XDG_DATA_HOME/.pyenv
+    - set `PYENV_ROOT` and use [pyenv-installer](https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-installer)
+    - install [pyenv-default-packages](git clone https://github.com/jawshooah/pyenv-default-packages.git $(pyenv root)/plugins/pyenv-default-packages)
+    - symlink `.pyenv/default-packages` to `$PYENV_ROOT/default-packages`
+6. install [neovim](https://neovim.io/)
+    - follow `README.md` in [janezicmatej/nvim](https://github.com/janezicmatej/nvim/)