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+---
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+---
+
+# test the full demo before presenting
+
+## what happened
+
+MAKE SURE THE THING WORKS BEFORE GOING INTO THE PRESENTATION. tested individual pieces, assumed they'd work together. they didn't.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+integration bugs only show up when you run the full flow. you'll discover that step 3 breaks step 5 right in front of the judges. individual components working does not mean the system works.
+
+## the fix
+
+run the complete user flow at least twice before presenting. start from a clean state each time. if something breaks, you want to find it now, not on stage.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[restart-server-before-demo]] — another pre-demo checklist item
+- [[practice-presentation-once]] — testing the presentation, not just the code
+- [[no-backup-plan-for-failed-demo]] — what to do when it breaks anyway
+- [[ai-rot]] — AI-generated code you didn't test is a common cause
+- [[it-works-on-my-machine]] — environmental differences break demos
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