diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index bd10bcd9..d0e8eac1 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
# Contribution guidelines
-Firstly, thank you for your interest in contributing to this project. This project is powered by the community
-and relies on hackers across the globe to contribute code to move this project forward.
+Firstly, thank you ❤️ for your interest in contributing to this project! This project is powered by the community
+and relies on hackers across the globe 🌐 to report bugs, send suggestions 💡 and contribute code to move this project forward ⏩.
You can see a list of contributors **[here](./CONTRIBUTORS.md)**
-## Coding guidelines
+## Ways to contribute
+
+* **#1**: Report bugs 🐞
+* **#2**: Give us ideas 💡
+* **#3**: Send patches
+
+## Coding guidelines 👩💻 👨💻
### Conventions
@@ -26,6 +32,7 @@ The project root has three main directories:
* `server` : This contains code for the main database server
### Branches
+
The `next` branch is the _kind of_ stable branch which contains the latest changes. However, for most purposes, you should always download the sources from the tags. Usually, when a feature is worked on, the work will be done on a separate branch, and then it will be merged into next.
## Steps
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4ffa802f..d832a48b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,60 +1,50 @@
-# Terrabase**DB** - The next-generation database
+
+
+
## What is TerrabaseDB?
-TerrabaseDB (or TDB for short) is an effort to provide the best of key/value stores, document stores and columnar databases - **simplicity, flexibility and queryability at scale**. This project is currently in a pre-alpha stage and is undergoing rapid development.
+TerrabaseDB (or TDB for short) is an effort to provide the best of key/value stores, document stores and columnar databases, that is, **simplicity, flexibility and queryability at scale**. TDB is curently in a pre-alpha stage, but can be used as a **performant** and **persistent key-value store**.
-## Status
+## Getting started
-**Currently**, TDB is a **persistent key/value store**.
-As noted earlier, TerrabaseDB is pre-alpha software and the entire API is subject to major breaking changes, at the moment.
+1. Download a bundle for your platform from [here ⬇️ ](https://github.com/terrabasedb/terrabase/releases)
+2. Unzip the bundle
+3. Make the files executable (run `chmod +x tdb tsh` on *nix systems)
+4. Run commands like: `SET foo bar` , `GET bar` , `UPDATE cat mitten` or `DEL proprietary` 🤪 on `tsh` !
-## Platforms
+## Clients 🔌
-![Linux supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/Linux%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=linux) ![macOS supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/macOS%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=apple) ![Windows supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/Windows%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=windows)
+We're officially working on a [Python Driver](https://github.com/terrabasedb/python-driver) and we plan to support more languages along the way 🎉! You're free to write your own clients - all you need to do is implement the simple and performant [Terrapipe protocol spec](https://git.io/JJZ4Z).
-## Getting started
-
-We have experimental client and server implementations for the database already.
-The releases are uploaded in bundles, for example, `tdb-bundle-v0.2.0-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.zip` . Each bundle contains `tdb` and `tsh` , that is, the database server and the client command-line tool.
+## Community 👐
-* Download a bundle for your platform from [releases](https://github.com/terrabasedb/terrabase/releases)
-* Unzip the downloaded bundle
-* Make the files executable (run `chmod +x tdb tsh` on Unix systems)
-* Start the database server by running `./tdb`
-* Start the client by running `./tsh`
-* You can run commands like `SET sayan 17` , `GET cat` , `UPDATE cat 100` or `DEL cat` !
+A project which is powered by the community believes in the power of community! If you get stuck anywhere - here are your options!
+
+
+
+
+
+
-## Goals
+## Platforms 💻
-* Fast
-* Designed to provide safe flexibility
-* Multithreaded ✓
-* Memory-safe ✓
-* Resource friendly ✓
-* Scalable
-* Simplicity
+![Linux supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/Linux%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=linux) ![macOS supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/macOS%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=apple) ![Windows supported](https://img.shields.io/badge/Windows%20x86__64-supported%20✓-228B22?style=flat-square&logo=windows)
-## Versioning
+## Versioning
This project strictly follows semver, however, since this project is currently in the development phase (0.x.y), the API may change unpredictably
## Contributing
-**Yes!** - this project **needs you**! We want hackers, like you, from all across the globe to help us create the next-generation database. Read the guide [here](./CONTRIBUTING.md).
-
-## Community
-
-A project which is powered by the community believes in the power of community!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+**Yes - we need you!** Be it a typo, a bizarre idea, a dirty bug🐞 or an amazing patch - you're welcome to contribute to TDB! Beginner friendly issues are marked with the
+ label. Read the guide [here](./CONTRIBUTING.md).
## License