docs: clarify maintainer-layer value

Author: hahajunj

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 - Clarified that the validation script describes the source-repository baseline and can be replaced or trimmed by downstream repositories.
 - Tightened the reuse guidance around release/version alignment and example adoption notes.
+- Clarified the maintainer-layer problem this repository is meant to solve for small public OSS projects.
 
 ## [0.1.4] - 2026-03-20
 

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Good contributions include:
 - improving repository templates
 - clarifying issue intake or review rules
 - expanding examples with real OSS maintenance scenarios
+- making the maintainer-layer value easier to understand for small public projects
 
 Out of scope by default:
 

README.md

@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ This repository gives OSS maintainers a small, reusable starting point for day-t
 
 It is intentionally not an app starter. It is a repository operations starter.
 
+## Why this layer matters
+
+Small OSS projects often rebuild the same maintainer-facing surface from scratch:
+
+- how issues get triaged
+- what a pull request should include
+- how releases are checked before tagging
+- where ownership and security contacts live in public
+
+This repository exists to keep that layer reusable, inspectable, and easy to adapt without turning it into a larger framework.
+
 ## Who should use it
 
 - solo maintainers who need a clear public maintenance structure