README exists and is adequately maintained

A missing or boilerplate README means the first developer to clone your project — or you on a new machine six months from now — must read source code to discover how to install dependencies, configure environment variables, and start the server. ISO 25010 maintainability.analysability fails at the project entry point. An unmodified create-next-app README is indistinguishable from a project with no documentation at all: it describes Next.js, not your project. Every undocumented setup step is a blocker for every future contributor.

Write a minimum viable README covering what the project does, how to install it, and how to run it. Reference src/app/ for the route structure and call out non-obvious setup steps:

# Project Name

One paragraph: what this does and who it's for.

## Setup
1. `npm install`
2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env.local` and fill in the values
3. `npm run dev` — runs on http://localhost:3000

## Project Structure
- `src/app/` — routes and pages
- `src/components/` — shared UI components
- `src/lib/` — utilities and third-party wrappers

Fifteen minutes of writing now saves hours of onboarding friction later.

• ID: code-maintainability.documentation.readme-exists

• Severity: high

• What to look for: Check for a README.md (or README.rst, README.txt) in the project root. If found, evaluate its content:

  • Does it describe what the project does?
  • Does it include setup/installation instructions?
  • Does it describe how to run the development server?
  • Is it the default create-next-app/boilerplate README with only the framework's default text (a fail — it contains no project-specific information)?
  • Is it clearly outdated (references to renamed files, missing setup steps the codebase requires)?

• Pass criteria: Count all sections in the README (headings at any level). A README exists with at minimum: a description of the project (at least 2 sentences), installation instructions, and a command to start the development server. It is not the unmodified framework boilerplate. The README must contain at least 50 words of project-specific content. Report even on pass: "README.md contains X words of project-specific content across Y sections."

• Fail criteria: No README found, OR the README is the unmodified framework boilerplate (e.g., the exact default Next.js README that only says "This is a Next.js project bootstrapped with create-next-app"), OR the README is so outdated it references non-existent files or missing setup steps. Do NOT pass when a README exists but contains fewer than 50 words of non-boilerplate content.

• Skip (N/A) when: Never — every project benefits from a README.

• Detail on fail: "README.md is the unmodified Next.js create-next-app boilerplate — contains no project-specific description, setup instructions, or documentation." or "No README.md found in project root." or "README references .env.local setup but no .env.example exists and no variables are documented."

• Remediation: A README is the first thing any new collaborator (or future you, six months from now) reads. The minimum viable README takes 15 minutes to write:

  # Project Name
  
  One paragraph describing what this project does and who it's for.
  
  ## Setup
  
  1. Clone the repo
  2. `npm install`
  3. Copy `.env.example` to `.env.local` and fill in the values
  4. `npm run dev` — runs on http://localhost:3000
  
  ## Key Technologies
  
  - Next.js 15 (App Router)
  - Supabase (database + auth)
  - Stripe (payments)
  
  ## Project Structure
  
  - `src/app/` — routes and pages
  - `src/components/` — shared UI components
  - `src/lib/` — utilities and third-party wrappers