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+# Self-hosted AI Starter Kit - Vision & Contribution Guidelines
+
+Awesome that you're interested in contributing to the Self-hosted AI Starter
+Kit! These specific guidelines are in addition to the general [n8n
+contribution
+guidelines](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+
+## Vision Statement
+
+The Self-hosted AI Starter Kit is designed to be **the fastest path from zero
+to working AI workflows** for developers and organizations who want to
+experiment with local, private AI solutions. It provides a curated,
+pre-configured foundation that "just works" out of the box, enabling users to
+focus on building AI workflows rather than wrestling with infrastructure
+setup.
+
+## Core Principles
+
+### 1. Simplicity Over Completeness
+
+The starter kit should prioritize ease of use and quick setup over
+comprehensive feature coverage. It's better to do fewer things well than to
+attempt to solve every possible use case.
+
+### 2. Learning-Focused, Not Production-Ready
+
+This is explicitly a **learning and experimentation platform**. Users should
+be able to go from `git clone` to working AI workflows in minutes, not hours.
+Production-grade concerns like high availability, advanced security, and
+scalability are intentionally out of scope.
+
+### 3. Opinionated but Extensible
+
+We make opinionated choices about the core stack (n8n + Ollama + Qdrant +
+PostgreSQL) to reduce decision paralysis, while providing clear paths for
+users to extend and customize as they learn.
+
+### 4. Privacy-First Local Development
+
+Everything should work completely offline and locally by default. External
+dependencies should be minimal and optional.
+
+## What Belongs in the Starter Kit
+
+### Core Components
+
+- **n8n**: The workflow automation platform
+- **Ollama**: Local LLM inference
+- **Qdrant**: Vector database for embeddings
+- **PostgreSQL**: Persistent data storage
+- **Basic networking**: Simple Docker networking to connect components
+
+### Essential Configuration
+
+This includes:
+- Pre-configured environment variables with sensible defaults
+- Basic Docker Compose profiles for different hardware (CPU, GPU-Nvidia, GPU-AMD)
+- Minimal volume mounts for data persistence
+- Sample workflow demonstrating the core capabilities
+
+### Getting Started Materials
+
+This includes:
+- Clear installation instructions for different platforms
+- A demo workflow showcasing AI capabilities
+- Basic documentation for accessing local files
+- Links to relevant n8n documentation and templates
+
+## What Doesn't Belong in the Starter Kit
+
+### Production Infrastructure
+
+Including:
+- Reverse proxies
+- SSL/TLS termination
+- Load balancers
+- Advanced monitoring and logging
+- Backup and recovery systems
+- Container orchestration beyond basic Docker Compose
+
+### Advanced Networking
+
+Including:
+- Custom network configurations
+- VPN integrations
+- Multiple environment setups
+- Advanced security hardening
+
+### Alternative Technology Stacks
+
+Including:
+- Different vector databases
+- Alternative workflow platforms
+- Multiple LLM backends beyond Ollama
+- Different databases for the core setup
+
+### Enterprise Features
+
+Including:
+- Authentication systems
+- Multi-tenancy
+- Advanced access controls
+- Compliance tooling
+
+## PR specific requirements
+
+- Small PRs Only:
+  - Focus on a single feature or fix per PR.
+- Typo-Only PRs:
+  - Typos are not sufficient justification for a PR and will be rejected.
+
+
+Remember: **It's better to be an excellent starting point than a mediocre
+everything-solution.**