Built a new deck this summer - lessons learned

Finally finished the deck we've been planning for two years. Started in June, just got done last weekend. Made a ton of mistakes on my first big project like this. Didn't account for proper grading so water pools in one spot. Also underestimated how long the staining would take. But man is it nice to sit out there in the evenings now. If anyone is thinking about doing this, budget way more time than you think you need and get proper drainage figured out from the start. Happy to answer specific questions about the process.