Reworked the main setup guide into a modern, provider-agnostic “build your own tilde” playbook with practical steps for provisioning, SSH hardening, public_html setup, /etc/skel planning, user lifecycle workflows, and operational safety.

Added a structured “add functionality in layers” section (publishing, communication, collaboration, culture) plus a first-week launch checklist to help new operators grow safely and intentionally.
Updated README.md with a clear “start here” section that points operators to the key docs for creating and extending a tilde host.
Updated docs/shellserver.md to point at the new setup guide and introduced a concise “quick priorities” list for new admins.

README.md

@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ tilde.club server.
 
 It's all moving very fast.
 
+# Getting started: run a tilde and help users build on it
+
+If your goal is to launch your own tilde-style host (or improve an existing one), start here:
+
+- [Build your own tilde-style server](docs/how-to-set-up-a-tilde.md)
+- [Shell server setup notes](docs/shellserver.md)
+- [SSH key onboarding guide](docs/ssh.md)
+- [Current `/etc/skel` permissions reference](docs/etc-skel-permissions.md)
+
+These documents are focused on practical operations, onboarding, and adding community functionality in safe increments.
+
 # Help Wanted
 Tilde.club is moving very quickly and is 100% volunteer led.