diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,23 +1,66 @@
-# go-server-with-otel
+# go-server-with-otel 🚀
 
-Template for a go HTTP + GRPC server with OTEL support. Uses the go-app
-framework to easily bootstrap a new app with all the bells and whistles.
+A powerful and flexible template for building Go HTTP + GRPC servers with full OpenTelemetry (OTEL) support.
+Bootstrapped with the go-app framework to provide all the bells and whistles right out of the box.
+Ideal for rapidly creating production-ready microservices.
 
-The provided proto returns a random fact, and serves only as a reference.
-It has support for grpc-gateway, and produces an openapi2/swagger spec for
-use with postman, etc..
+Check out the [go-app framework](https://gitea.libretechconsulting.com/rmcguire/go-app) for more detail there.
 
-## Getting Started
+## 🌟 Features
 
-1. Rename your package using `make rename NAME=my.gitremote.com/pathto/repo`
-1. Review the config struct, adding any app-specific configuration
-   1. This will be merged with the go-app config, giving logging/http/grpc
-      configuration for free
-1. Generate a new json schema, for use with your config.yaml: `make schema`
-   1. Ensure you have yaml+json tags
-   1. The yaml-language-server lsp plugin for your favorite editor should
-      pull in the schema using the comment in `config.yaml`
-1. Run `make proto` after updating proto changes, and add any
-   1. paths under proto/ as necessary
-1. Implement your things
-1. Update parameters in `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` for your app
+- **📈 OpenTelemetry (OTEL) Metrics & Traces** – Comprehensive observability with built-in support for metrics and traces.
+- 📝 Logging with Zerolog – High-performance structured logging with zerolog for ultra-fast, leveled logging.
+- **💬 GRPC + GRPC-Gateway** – Supports RESTful JSON APIs alongside gRPC with auto-generated Swagger (OpenAPI2) specs.
+- 🌐 HTTP and GRPC Middleware – Flexible middleware support for HTTP and GRPC to enhance request handling, authentication, and observability.
+- **📦 Multi-Arch Builds** – Robust Makefile that supports building for multiple architectures (amd64, arm64, etc.).
+- **🐳 Docker Image Generation** – Easily build Docker images using `make docker`.
+- **📜 Config Schema Generation** – Automatically generate JSON schemas for configuration validation.
+- **📝 Proto Compilation** – Seamlessly compile .proto files with `make proto`.
+- **🔄 Project Renaming** – Easily rename your project using `make rename NAME=your.gitremote.com/pathto/repo`.
+- **📦 Helm Chart** – Deploy your application with Kubernetes using the provided Helm chart.
+- **🤖 Gitea CI Integration** – Out-of-the-box Gitea CI pipeline configuration with `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml`.
+- **⚙️ Expandable Configuration** – Extend your app-specific configuration with go-app's built-in logging, HTTP, and GRPC config support.
+
+---
+
+## 📚 Getting Started
+
+1. **Rename your package:**
+   ```sh
+   make rename NAME=my.gitremote.com/pathto/repo
+   ```
+
+2. **Review the config struct:**
+   Update and customize your app-specific configuration. This merges with go-app's configuration, providing logging, HTTP, and GRPC config for free.
+
+3. **Generate a new JSON schema:**
+   ```sh
+   make schema
+   ```
+   - Ensure your structs have `yaml` and `json` tags.
+   - With the `yaml-language-server` LSP plugin, the schema will be auto-detected in your `config.yaml`.
+
+4. **Compile proto files:**
+   ```sh
+   make proto
+   ```
+   - Add paths under `proto/` as necessary.
+
+5. **Implement your application logic.**
+
+6. **Update Gitea CI configuration:**
+   Modify parameters in `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` as needed.
+
+---
+
+## 📂 Project Structure
+- `proto/` - Protobuf definitions and generated files.
+- `api/` - Auto-generated code for proto, grpc-gateway, and OpenAPI2 spec
+- `pkg/config/` - Custom config, merged with go-app configuration
+- `pkg/demo(http|grpc)/` - HTTP and GRPC server implementations
+- `helm/` - Helm chart for deploying your application to Kubernetes.
+- `.gitea/workflows/` - CI pipelines for automated builds and tests.
+
+---
+
+## 🔥 Ready to build something awesome? Let's go! 🎉