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+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# frame impact explicitly
+
+## what happened
+
+Congressional App Challenge — didn't present well, impact wasn't framed clearly enough. "Pause could have been perfectly fine if i just say one extra thing that it does." the project was solid but the presentation undersold it.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+judges won't infer impact. if you don't say "this helps X people do Y thing Z% faster," they won't figure it out themselves. you know how impactful your project is because you built it. they don't — they're seeing it for 5 minutes. the gap between what you know and what you communicate is where you lose.
+
+## the fix
+
+frame the impact explicitly. state it in plain language. "this app saves teachers 3 hours per week on grading" is better than a vague demo that shows grading features. write down 2-3 impact statements before your presentation. if a single extra sentence could have made the difference, that sentence should be in your opening, not left to chance.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[pitching-matters-as-much-as-product]] — framing IS pitching
+- [[memorize-one-liner]] — the one-liner should include impact
+- [[practice-presentation-once]] — practice saying the impact out loud
+- [[match-the-theme-track]] — frame impact in terms of what judges care about
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