More often than not, hole counting has held teams back. It not only demonstrates a lack of fundementals to judges but also does not allow you to develop as a younger roboteer.
RULE NUMBER 2: SIMPLICITY > COMPLEXITY
Complexity requires justification and success, simplicity only requires succcess.
RULE NUMBER 3: UNDERSTANDING IS KEY
True success relies in a complete understanding of everything that's on your robot and how the mechanisms function to serve a goal. If a component/system does not serve a function, it should not be on your robot. (Accessories and decals are the exception)