diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5352057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Contributing to ticket
+
+Thank you for your interest in contributing! This document outlines how to set up the project, run tests, and submit changes.
+
+## Development Setup
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Bash (POSIX-compatible)
+- coreutils
+- `jq` (for the `query` command)
+- `rg` / ripgrep (optional, falls back to grep)
+
+### Install from Source
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/wedow/ticket.git
+cd ticket
+ln -s "$PWD/ticket" ~/.local/bin/tk
+# Or add to PATH
+```
+
+Verify installation:
+```bash
+tk help
+```
+
+### Running Tests
+
+Tests use [behave](https://behave.readthedocs.io/) (Python BDD framework).
+
+With `uv` installed:
+```bash
+make test
+```
+
+Without `uv`:
+```bash
+pip install behave
+make test
+```
+
+## Coding Standards
+
+- Write POSIX-compatible bash scripts
+- Keep dependencies minimal (coreutils + optional jq/rg)
+- Follow the Unix Philosophy: do one thing well
+- Add plugin descriptions using `# tk-plugin: description` in the first 10 lines
+
+## Submitting Changes
+
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Create a feature branch: `git checkout -b my-feature`
+3. Make your changes
+4. Run tests: `make test`
+5. Commit with a clear message
+6. Push to your fork
+7. Open a pull request against `wedow/ticket`
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+ticket          # Main executable script
+CLAUDE.md      # AI agent instructions
+Makefile       # Build/test targets
+features/      # behave test scenarios
+plugins/       # Bundled plugins
+pkg/           # Library functions
+scripts/       # Utility scripts
+```
+
+## Getting Help
+
+- Open an issue for bugs or feature requests
+- Use `tk help` for CLI reference
+- Check README.md for usage examples
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2d7017e..16fdd22 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,6 +95,20 @@ Searches parent directories for .tickets/ (override with TICKETS_DIR env var)
 Supports partial ID matching (e.g., 'tk show 5c4' matches 'nw-5c46')
 ```
 
+## Parent Tickets vs Dependencies
+
+Understanding the difference between `parent` and `deps`:
+
+- **`parent`** — Hierarchical relationship for grouping tickets (e.g., epics and sub-tasks). Created with `tk create --parent <id>`. Use for:
+  - Breaking large epics into smaller tickets
+  - Creating a ticket tree structure
+
+- **`deps`** — Dependency/blocking relationship. Created with `tk dep add <id> <dep-id>`. Use for:
+  - Tracking that Ticket A cannot proceed until Ticket B is complete
+  - Working with `tk ready` (show tickets with all deps resolved) and `tk blocked` (show tickets waiting on unresolved deps)
+
+These are independent by design. A ticket can have a parent (be part of an epic) while also having dependencies on other tickets.
+
 ## Plugins
 
 Executables named `tk-<cmd>` or `ticket-<cmd>` in your PATH are invoked automatically. This allows you to add custom commands or override built-in ones.