diff --git a/.github/pre-commit b/.github/pre-commit
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..41ee58af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/pre-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# An example hook script to verify what is about to be committed.
+# Called by "git commit" with no arguments.  The hook should
+# exit with non-zero status after issuing an appropriate message if
+# it wants to stop the commit.
+#
+# To enable this hook, rename this file to "pre-commit".
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+rubyfiles=$(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM "*.rb" "Gemfile"  | tr '\n' ' ')
+[ -z "$rubyfiles" ] && exit 0
+
+# Standardize all ruby files
+echo "🧹 Formatting staged Ruby files using standardrb ($(echo $rubyfiles | wc -w | awk '{print $1}') total)"
+echo "$rubyfiles" | xargs docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec standardrb --fix
+
+# Add back the modified/prettified files to staging
+echo "$rubyfiles" | xargs git add
+
+echo "📋 Running tests with rspec"
+docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec rspec --format progress
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ec39f110..37ebb60f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,36 +13,13 @@ git clone git@github.com:mlibrary/account.git
 cd account
 ```
 
-copy .env-example to .env
-
+run the `init.sh` script. 
 ```bash
-cp .env-example .env
+./init.sh
 ```
 
 edit .env with the appropriate environment variables 
 
-build the containers
-
-```bash
-docker-compose build
-```
-
-bundle install
-```bash
-docker-compose run --rm web bundle install
-```
-
-npm install
-```bash
-docker-compose run --rm web npm install
-```
-
-build styles and scripts
-
-```bash
-docker-compose run --rm web npm run build
-```
-
 start containers
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/init.sh b/init.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..29eff300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#must be run from the project root directory
+if [ -f ".env" ]; then
+  echo "🌎 .env exists. Leaving alone"
+else
+  echo "🌎 .env does not exist. Copying env.example to .env"
+  cp env.example .env
+fi
+
+if [ -f ".git/hooks/pre-commit" ]; then
+  echo "🪝 .git/hooks/pre-commit exists. Leaving alone"
+else
+  echo " 🪝 .git/hooks/pre-commit does not exist. Copying .github/pre-commit to .git/hooks/"
+  cp .github/pre-commit .git/hooks/pre-commit
+fi
+
+echo "🚢 Build docker images"
+docker-compose build
+
+echo "📦 Installing Gems"
+docker-compose run --rm web bundle
+
+echo "📦 Installing Node modules"
+docker-compose run --rm web npm install
+
+echo "📦 Building js and css"
+docker-compose run --rm web npm run build