diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 77ad21f..e46e670 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ brew update && brew install danieljharvey/tools/tmux-mate
 
 Binaries available on the [releases](https://github.com/danieljharvey/tmux-mate/releases) page.
 
+### Getting started
+
+```bash
+# create a default tmux-mate.dhall
+tmux-mate init
+# Start running everything
+tmux-mate start
+```
+
 ### Tutorial
 
 Let's grab a couple of sample config files...
diff --git a/app/CLICommands.hs b/app/CLICommands.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4ee134
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/CLICommands.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module CLICommands where
+
+import TmuxMate (CLIOptions (..))
+
+data CLICommand
+  = CLIRun CLIOptions
+  | CLIInit
diff --git a/app/Main.hs b/app/Main.hs
index 53593fd..a5c5dce 100644
--- a/app/Main.hs
+++ b/app/Main.hs
@@ -1,29 +1,20 @@
 module Main where
 
-import Options.Applicative
+import CLICommands
+import Options (command)
+import qualified Options.Applicative as Opt
 import System.Exit
 import TmuxMate
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
-  options' <- execParser (info options fullDesc)
-  didItWork <- loadTestSession options'
-  case didItWork of
-    Yeah -> exitWith ExitSuccess
-    Nah i -> exitWith (ExitFailure i)
-
-configFilePathParser :: Parser ConfigFilePath
-configFilePathParser =
-  ConfigFilePath
-    <$> argument str (metavar "<path-to-config-file>")
-
-verbosityParser :: Parser Verbosity
-verbosityParser =
-  flag' Chatty (short 'v' <> long "verbose")
-    <|> flag' DryRun (short 'd' <> long "dry-run")
-    <|> pure Silent
-
-options :: Parser CLIOptions
-options =
-  CLIOptions
-    <$> configFilePathParser <*> verbosityParser
+  command' <- Opt.execParser (Opt.info command Opt.fullDesc)
+  case command' of
+    CLIInit -> do
+      createTmuxMateDhall
+      putStrLn "Initial tmux-mate.dhall created!"
+    CLIRun options' -> do
+      didItWork <- loadTestSession options'
+      case didItWork of
+        Yeah -> exitWith ExitSuccess
+        Nah i -> exitWith (ExitFailure i)
diff --git a/app/Options.hs b/app/Options.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a04319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Options.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+module Options (command) where
+
+import CLICommands
+import Options.Applicative ((<|>))
+import qualified Options.Applicative as Opt
+import TmuxMate
+
+command :: Opt.Parser CLICommand
+command =
+  otherCommands
+    <|> (CLIRun <$> options)
+
+configFilePathParser :: Opt.Parser (Maybe ConfigFilePath)
+configFilePathParser =
+  ( Just <$> ConfigFilePath
+      <$> Opt.argument Opt.str (Opt.metavar "<path-to-config-file>")
+  )
+    <|> pure Nothing
+
+verbosityParser :: Opt.Parser Verbosity
+verbosityParser =
+  Opt.flag' Chatty (Opt.short 'v' <> Opt.long "verbose")
+    <|> Opt.flag' DryRun (Opt.short 'd' <> Opt.long "dry-run")
+    <|> pure Silent
+
+options :: Opt.Parser CLIOptions
+options =
+  CLIOptions
+    <$> configFilePathParser <*> verbosityParser
+
+otherCommands :: Opt.Parser CLICommand
+otherCommands =
+  Opt.subparser
+    ( Opt.command
+        "init"
+        ( Opt.info
+            (pure CLIInit)
+            (Opt.progDesc "Initialise a new tmux-mate.dhall file")
+        )
+        <> Opt.command
+          "start"
+          ( Opt.info
+              (CLIRun <$> options)
+              (Opt.progDesc "Start running everything in the selected config file")
+          )
+    )
diff --git a/src/TmuxMate.hs b/src/TmuxMate.hs
index 9b6bdee..4c6a3eb 100644
--- a/src/TmuxMate.hs
+++ b/src/TmuxMate.hs
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@ module TmuxMate
     CLIOptions (..),
     ConfigFilePath (..),
     Verbosity (..),
+    createTmuxMateDhall,
   )
 where
 
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import qualified Dhall as Dhall
 import System.Process
 import TmuxMate.Commands
+import TmuxMate.Init
 import TmuxMate.Logger
 import TmuxMate.Running
 import TmuxMate.TmuxCommands
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ data DidItWork
 loadTestSession :: CLIOptions -> IO DidItWork
 loadTestSession options = do
   let (decoder :: Dhall.Decoder Session) = Dhall.auto
-  let path = getConfigFilePath $ configFilePath options
+  let path = fromMaybe "tmux-mate.dhall" (getConfigFilePath <$> configFilePath options)
       myLog = logger (verbosity options)
   config <- Dhall.detailed (Dhall.inputFile decoder path)
   case parseSession config of
diff --git a/src/TmuxMate/Init.hs b/src/TmuxMate/Init.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08ae86e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/TmuxMate/Init.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+module TmuxMate.Init (createTmuxMateDhall) where
+
+-- where we make a new empty session file
+
+import Data.Text.IO
+import Dhall
+import Dhall.Core (pretty)
+import TmuxMate.Types
+  ( Pane (..),
+    PaneArrangement (..),
+    PaneCommand (..),
+    Session (..),
+    SessionName (..),
+    Window (..),
+    WindowName (..),
+  )
+
+createTmuxMateDhall :: IO ()
+createTmuxMateDhall = do
+  let dhallVal = pretty (embed inject defaultSession)
+  Data.Text.IO.writeFile "./tmux-mate.dhall" dhallVal
+
+defaultSession :: Session
+defaultSession =
+  Session
+    (SessionName "tmux-mate")
+    [ Window
+        (WindowName "first")
+        [ Pane
+            ( PaneCommand "watch echo \"hello from tmux-mate\""
+            ),
+          Pane
+            ( PaneCommand "watch echo \"hello again from tmux-mate\""
+            )
+        ]
+        (PaneArrangement "tiled")
+    ]
diff --git a/src/TmuxMate/Types.hs b/src/TmuxMate/Types.hs
index d40eb2d..ba82068 100644
--- a/src/TmuxMate/Types.hs
+++ b/src/TmuxMate/Types.hs
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ newtype ConfigFilePath
 
 data CLIOptions
   = CLIOptions
-      { configFilePath :: ConfigFilePath,
+      { configFilePath :: Maybe ConfigFilePath,
         verbosity :: Verbosity
       }
   deriving (Eq, Ord, Show)