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+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# pitching matters as much as product
+
+## what happened
+
+you can have shit product but pitch much above average and still win. watched teams with worse projects win because they presented better.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+builders tend to think the work speaks for itself. it doesn't. judges have limited time and attention. a great pitch makes a mediocre project look good; a bad pitch makes a great project look forgettable.
+
+## the fix
+
+allocate real time to the pitch — not just the last 20 minutes. assign your best communicator to lead the presentation. practice the narrative: problem -> solution -> demo -> impact.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[practice-presentation-once]] — the minimum investment in pitch quality
+- [[all-coders-no-communicator]] — the team comp that kills pitches
+- [[frame-impact-explicitly]] — part of a good pitch is framing impact
+- [[memorize-one-liner]] — the pitch starts with the one-liner
+- [[emphasize-live-demo]] — the demo is the core of the pitch
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