new file mode 100644
index 0000000..137abcc
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# practice the presentation once
+
+## what happened
+
+went in cold. stumbled over transitions, didn't know who was saying what, ran over time.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+even one dry run makes a huge difference. most hackathon teams never practice and it shows — they trip over each other, forget to mention key features, and blow past the time limit. judges notice.
+
+## the fix
+
+do one full run-through. time it. figure out who says what. you don't need to rehearse 10 times — once is the difference between amateur and competent.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[test-demo-before-presenting]] — testing the demo is part of practicing
+- [[emphasize-live-demo]] — structure the presentation around the demo
+- [[memorize-one-liner]] — know your opening cold
+- [[pitching-matters-as-much-as-product]] — why the presentation matters
+- [[all-coders-no-communicator]] — the team composition that causes bad presentations
\ No newline at end of file