diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1cbaad17..7615304e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ Base is a secure, low-cost, developer-friendly Ethereum L2 built on Optimism's [
 [![Twitter Base](https://img.shields.io/twitter/follow/Base?style=social)](https://x.com/Base)
 [![Farcaster Base](https://img.shields.io/badge/Farcaster_Base-3d8fcc)](https://farcaster.xyz/base)
 
+### Pre-flight Checklist
+
+Before starting your Base node, ensure you have completed the following:
+- [ ] **Hardware**: Minimum 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD (NVMe preferred).
+- [ ] **L1 RPC**: A valid Ethereum Mainnet (or Sepolia) RPC endpoint is available.
+- [ ] **Docker**: Docker and Docker Compose are installed and running.
+- [ ] **Ports**: Port `30303` (TCP/UDP) is open for P2P peer discovery.
+- [ ] **Snapshots**: Check the latest snapshot size to ensure sufficient disk space.
+
 ## Quick Start
 
 1. Ensure you have an Ethereum L1 full node RPC available