diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7efe55732c..0efecac2e6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,9 +1,25 @@
-# wasmtime
-Standalone JIT-style runtime support for WebAsssembly code in Cranelift
+# Wasmtime: a WebAssembly Runtime.
+
+A standalone wasm-only runtime for [WebAsssembly], using [Cranelift].
 
 [![Travis Status](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime)
 [![Appveyor Status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/vxvpt2plriy5s0mc?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/CraneStation/cranelift)
 [![Gitter chat](https://badges.gitter.im/CraneStation/CraneStation.svg)](https://gitter.im/CraneStation/Lobby)
-![Minimum rustc 1.30](https://img.shields.io/badge/rustc-1.30+-red.svg)
+![Minimum rustc 1.30](https://img.shields.io/badge/rustc-1.30+-green.svg)
 
-*This is a work in progress that is not currently functional.*
+*This is a work in progress that is not currently functional, but under active development.*
+
+Goals include:
+ - Be a general-purpose engine for running WebAssembly code [outside of browsers].
+ - Support a variety of host APIs with fast calling sequences.
+ - Facilitate testing, experimentation, and development around the [Cranelift] and
+   [Lightbeam] JITs.
+ - Develop a the native ABI used for compiling WebAssembly suitable for use in
+   both JIT and AOT to native object files.
+
+[WebAssembly]: https://webassembly.org/
+[outside of browsers]: https://github.com/WebAssembly/design/blob/master/NonWeb.md
+[Cranelift]: https://github.com/CraneStation/cranelift
+[Lightbeam]: https://github.com/CraneStation/lightbeam
+
+It's Wasmtime.