diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b1991fb..0f94df8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -50,10 +50,36 @@ eachSystem allSystems (system: { hello = 42; })
 
 `eachSystem` pre-populated with `defaultSystems`.
 
+#### Example
+
+[$ examples/each-system/flake.nix](examples/each-system/flake.nix) as nix
+```nix
+{
+  description = "Flake utils demo";
+
+  inputs.flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
+
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }:
+    flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
+      let pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system}; in
+      rec {
+        packages = flake-utils.lib.flattenTree {
+          hello = pkgs.hello;
+          gitAndTools = pkgs.gitAndTools;
+        };
+        defaultPackage = packages.hello;
+        apps.hello = flake-utils.lib.mkApp { drv = packages.hello; };
+        defaultApp = apps.hello;
+      }
+    );
+}
+```
+
 ### `mkApp { drv, name ? drv.pname or drv.name, execPath ? drv.passthru.execPath or "/bin/${name}"`
 
 A small utility that builds the structure expected by the special `apps` and `defaultApp` prefixes.
 
+
 ### `flattenTree -> attrs -> attrs`
 
 Nix flakes insists on having a flat attribute set of derivations in
@@ -78,27 +104,54 @@ Returns:
 }
 ```
 
-## Example
+### `simpleFlake -> attrs -> attrs`
+
+This function should be useful for most common use-cases where you have a
+simple flake that builds a package. It takes nixpkgs and a bunch of other
+parameters and outputs a value that is compatible as a flake output.
+
+Input:
+```nix
+{
+  # pass an instance of self
+  self
+, # pass an instance of the nixpkgs flake
+  nixpkgs
+, # we assume that the name maps to the project name, and also that the
+  # overlay has an attribute with the `name` prefix that contains all of the
+  # project's packages.
+  name
+, # nixpkgs config
+  config ? { }
+, # pass either a function or a file
+  overlay ? null
+, # use this to load other flakes overlays to supplement nixpkgs
+  preOverlays ? [ ]
+, # maps to the devShell output. Pass in a shell.nix file or function.
+  shell ? null
+, # pass the list of supported systems
+  systems ? [ "x86_64-linux" ]
+}: null
+```
+
+#### Example
 
 Here is how it looks like in practice:
 
-[$ example/flake.nix](example/flake.nix) as nix
+[$ examples/simple-flake/flake.nix](examples/simple-flake/flake.nix) as nix
 ```nix
 {
   description = "Flake utils demo";
 
-  inputs.flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
+  inputs.flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils/simple-flake";
 
   outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }:
-    flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
-      let pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system}; in
-      rec {
-        packages.hello = pkgs.hello;
-        defaultPackage = packages.hello;
-        apps.hello = flake-utils.lib.mkApp { drv = packages.hello; };
-        defaultApp = apps.hello;
-      }
-    );
+    flake-utils.lib.simpleFlake {
+      inherit self nixpkgs;
+      name = "simple-flake";
+      overlay = ./overlay.nix;
+      shell = ./shell.nix;
+    };
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
index ceaad1d..f30f13e 100644
--- a/default.nix
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -117,15 +117,20 @@ let
       type = "app";
       program = "${drv}${exePath}";
     };
-in
-{
-  inherit
-    allSystems
-    defaultSystems
-    eachDefaultSystem
-    eachSystem
-    flattenTree
-    mkApp
-    ;
 
-}
+  # This function tries to capture a common flake pattern.
+  simpleFlake = import ./simpleFlake.nix { inherit lib; };
+
+  lib = {
+    inherit
+      allSystems
+      defaultSystems
+      eachDefaultSystem
+      eachSystem
+      flattenTree
+      mkApp
+      simpleFlake
+      ;
+  };
+in
+lib
diff --git a/example/flake.nix b/examples/each-system/flake.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from example/flake.nix
rename to examples/each-system/flake.nix
diff --git a/examples/simple-flake/flake.nix b/examples/simple-flake/flake.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a027b51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/simple-flake/flake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  description = "Flake utils demo";
+
+  inputs.flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
+
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }:
+    flake-utils.lib.simpleFlake {
+      inherit self nixpkgs;
+      name = "simple-flake";
+      overlay = ./overlay.nix;
+      shell = ./shell.nix;
+    };
+}
diff --git a/examples/simple-flake/overlay.nix b/examples/simple-flake/overlay.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..772e417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/simple-flake/overlay.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+final: prev:
+{
+  # this key should be the same as the simpleFlake name attribute.
+  simple-flake = {
+    # assuming that hello is a project-specific package;
+    hello = prev.hello;
+
+    # demonstrating recursive packages
+    terraform-providers = prev.terraform-providers;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/examples/simple-flake/shell.nix b/examples/simple-flake/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b96bfda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/simple-flake/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{ pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> }:
+pkgs.mkShell {
+  buildInputs = [ pkgs.jq ];
+}
diff --git a/simpleFlake.nix b/simpleFlake.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3d497c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simpleFlake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+{ lib }:
+# This function returns a flake outputs-compatible schema.
+{
+  # pass an instance of self
+  self
+, # pass an instance of the nixpkgs flake
+  nixpkgs
+, # we assume that the name maps to the project name, and also that the
+  # overlay has an attribute with the `name` prefix that contains all of the
+  # project's packages.
+  name
+, # nixpkgs config
+  config ? { }
+, # pass either a function or a file
+  overlay ? null
+, # use this to load other flakes overlays to supplement nixpkgs
+  preOverlays ? [ ]
+, # maps to the devShell output. Pass in a shell.nix file or function.
+  shell ? null
+, # pass the list of supported systems
+  systems ? [ "x86_64-linux" ]
+}:
+let
+  loadOverlay = obj:
+    if obj == null then
+      [ ]
+    else
+      [ (maybeImport obj) ]
+  ;
+
+  maybeImport = obj:
+    if (builtins.typeOf obj == "path") || (builtins.typeOf obj == "string") then
+      import obj
+    else
+      obj
+  ;
+
+  overlays = preOverlays ++ (loadOverlay overlay);
+
+  shell_ = maybeImport shell;
+
+  outputs = lib.eachSystem systems (system:
+    let
+      pkgs = import nixpkgs {
+        inherit
+          config
+          overlays
+          system
+          ;
+      };
+
+      packages = pkgs.${name} or { };
+    in
+    {
+      legacyPackages = packages;
+
+      # Flake expects a flat attrset containing only derivations as values
+      packages = lib.flattenTree packages;
+    } // (if shell == null then { } else {
+      devShell = shell_ { inherit pkgs; };
+    })
+  );
+
+in
+outputs