diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fe8638c..f3ddbe0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ a discord bot & web ui for managing self-assignable roles.
 
 If you're here to report a bug or develop on Roleypoly, the rest of this document is for you.
 
+Roleypoly is built with node.js, next.js, react/redux, discord.js, and little sprinkles of weird magic goo.
+
 ## developing/running your own
 
 you'll need
@@ -25,6 +27,16 @@ yarn
 yarn dev
 ```
 
+tooling notes:
+- we use flow-type for UI code, but not on server. this may change, but i doubt it.
+- `./ui` has hot-reloading via next.js  
+- `./api` has hot-reloading built in.
+  - if this isn't ideal for you, set `NO_HOT_RELOADING=1`
+
+this backend framework is one i've been building on for a long time and has a shitload of magic and auto-importing involved. for the most part, unless you make a new Service class, you do not need to define it's import anywhere.
+
+`Roleypoly.js` is the main app, `index.js` in any backend folder is scaffolding up for the app or package.
+
 ### for production
 
 If you want an unedited latest version of roleypoly, it is available on the Docker Hub ([katie/roleypoly](https://hub.docker.com/r/katie/roleypoly)) for your using pleasure. An example docker-compose.yml is provided in `docker-compose.example.yml`, and all relevant environment variables (see `.env.example`) may be set there.