diff --git a/crates/collab/README.md b/crates/collab/README.md
index 5aa964ee792fee9c38f62dd9daeab5f4ef437de3..db533d5dfefbba0d8eaf6e15de390d85457f67a3 100644
--- a/crates/collab/README.md
+++ b/crates/collab/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ It contains our back-end logic for collaboration, to which we connect from the Z
 
 ## Database setup
 
-Before you can run the collab server locally, you'll need to set up a zed Postgres database.
+Before you can run the collab server locally, you'll need to set up a zed Postgres database. Follow the steps sequentially:
+
+1. Ensure you have postgres installed. If not, install with `brew install postgresql@15`.
+2. Follow the steps on Brew's formula and verify your `$PATH` contains `/opt/homebrew/opt/postgresql@15/bin`.
+3. If you hadn't done it before, create the `postgres` user with `createuser -s postgres`.
+4. You are now ready to run the `bootstrap` script:
 
 ```sh
 script/bootstrap