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+---
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+---
+
+# not reading submission requirements
+
+*(common gotcha)*
+
+## what happened
+
+you build a great project, then discover the submission requires a 2-minute video, a written description under 500 words, and screenshots in a specific format. it's 30 minutes before the deadline. you rush through all of it and submit garbage supplementary materials alongside a great project.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+submission requirements are often posted weeks before the deadline but nobody reads them until the end. the video, the writeup, the screenshots — these are what judges actually see first. your code might be excellent, but if your submission materials are rushed, judges form a bad first impression before they ever look at the project.
+
+## the fix
+
+read the full submission requirements on day one. put the non-code deliverables on your task list alongside the coding work. allocate time for the video and writeup — they're not afterthoughts, they're the packaging.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[match-the-theme-track]] — read the rules before you build
+- [[check-what-you-submit]] — verify the submission matches the requirements
+- [[submitting-right-at-the-deadline]] — late discovery + last-minute = disaster
+- [[frame-impact-explicitly]] — the writeup is where you frame impact
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