diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cd1c4c8..30fcc93 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,5 +20,8 @@ This app (One Name `ecomm`, see [`app.json`](./app.json)) is composed of:
 
 ## Status
 
-No application code yet. The architecture and first release are to be designed in
-a brainstorming/planning session before any code lands.
+SLICE-1 (walking skeleton) of SD-0001 is in place: a four-layer FastAPI backend that
+self-migrates an empty PostgreSQL database at startup and serves `/healthz`, a
+Vite/React shell, the `scripts/check.sh` gate, and the dev container lifecycle
+(`scripts/dev.sh`). See [`docs/BOOTSTRAP.md`](./docs/BOOTSTRAP.md) to run it locally.
+Identity (SLICE-2) and the storefront (SLICE-3) are next.