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+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# slides as documentation
+
+*(common gotcha)*
+
+## what happened
+
+teams pack slides with code snippets, architecture diagrams, and dense text to prove technical competence. judges glaze over.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+your slides aren't documentation. nobody is going to read 8pt code on a projected screen. when visuals become dense, the main idea gets lost. judges check out and you lose them before the demo even starts.
+
+## the fix
+
+each slide should have one idea and minimal text. if you can't explain the slide in one sentence, it has too much on it. code goes in the demo, not the deck.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[emphasize-live-demo]] — what to do instead of dense slides
+- [[pitching-matters-as-much-as-product]] — slides should serve the pitch
+- [[jumping-between-features-no-narrative]] — another presentation anti-pattern
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