diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a1a976b7..453766ea 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,11 +8,27 @@
 [![License](https://poser.pugx.org/phplist/phplist4-core/license.svg)](https://packagist.org/packages/phpList/phpList)
 
 
+## About phpList
+
+
 PhpList is an open source newsletter manager. This project is a rewrite of the
 [original phpList](https://github.com/phpList/phplist3).
 
 
+## About this package
+
+This is the phpList 4 core. It will have the following responsibilities:
+
+* provide access to the DB via Doctrine models and repositories (and raw SQL
+  for performance-critical parts that do not need the models)
+* routing (which the web frontend and REST API will use)
+* authentication (which the web frontend and REST API will use)
+* logging
+* a script for tasks to be called from the command line (or a cron job)
+* tasks to create and update the DB schema
+
+This package should not be modified locally. It should be updated via Composer.
+
 ## Copyright
 
-PhpList is copyright (C) 2000-2017 Michiel Dethmers,
-[phpList Ltd](http://www.phplist.com/).
+phpList is copyright (C) 2000-2017 [phpList Ltd](http://www.phplist.com/).