diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f3c2b8..db9a8ea 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,20 +17,34 @@ bytecode.
 
 ## dependencies
 
-* Python 3.11
+* Python 3.11 or 3.12
+* make (optional, build tool)
 * graphviz
 * pyyaml
+* pytest (for testing)
+* sphinx (for docs)
+* sphinx_rt_theme (for docs)
 
 You can create a conda env using the following:
 
 ```
-conda env create -n numba-rvsdg python=3.11 python-graphviz
-conda activate numba-rvsdg
-pip install pyyaml
+$ conda env create -n numba-rvsdg python=3.12 python-graphviz pyyaml pytest sphinx sphinx_rtd_theme
+$ conda activate numba-rvsdg
 ```
 
-At the time of writing `pyyaml` was not available for Python 3.11 via
-`defaults` so it had to be installed with `pip`.
+If you have `make` and `conda` available, a common workflow could be:
+
+```
+$ make conda-env                        # setup conda environment
+$ conda activate numba-rvsdg            # activate it
+$ make                                  # "build" the project
+$ make test                             # run all tests
+$ make docs                             # build the docs
+$ open docs/build/html/index.html       # view the docs (OSX)
+```
+
+Feel free to look at the `makefile` for low-level commands.
+
 
 ## overview
 
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bc40b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+.PHONY: build test docs env
+build:
+	python -m pip install -vv -e .
+test:
+	pytest --pyargs numba_rvsdg
+docs:
+	cd docs && make html
+conda-env:
+	conda create -n numba-rvsdg python=3.12 python-graphviz pyyaml pytest sphinx sphinx_rtd_theme