Creator Key and Press Budget Cap Worksheet Before October Fest Outreach - 2026

July 14: T-90 creator outreach listicle is bookmarked. July 15: someone burns fifty Steam review keys plus a $600 MailerLite upgrade and a mid-tier creator "seeding fee" before creator_roster_v1.json even has embargo columns. July 22: engineering still invoices April Addressables contractors while marketing asks for another paid boost because Labor Day is "coming fast."

July–September 2026 is the cash collision window for October Next Fest: creator keys, press mailers, and seeding fees arrive while April–June content-update contractors are still on the books (March engineering runway cousin mindset during patch season). Teams that wire outreach tooling without a press budget receipt discover in September that runway spent on keys cannot hire smoke coverage for October RC week.

This Money & Business worksheet caps weekly creator-key / press / seeding cash for the T-90 runway—not January's general marketing return (January marketing cap), not March engineering overtime dollars, not review-key scope labeling (review keys checklist). It delivers a beginner table, gates K1–K6, stop rules PR1–PR5, october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json, and BUILD_RECEIPT press_budget_ok: true.

Non-repetition note: Creator outreach listicle owns tools + embargo roster + C1–C6. Review keys checklist owns email scope / branch parity. January marketing cap owns Jan–Feb weekly marketing cash. March engineering runway owns engineering contractor overtime. This URL owns T-90 press + key spend caps before paid outreach.

Pair T-90 outreach, January marketing cap, March engineering runway, July signup, forward blog #12 Whisper highlight reel handoff.

Why this matters now (July–September 2026 T-90)

1. Keys look free until they are not — Steam review keys are zero USD, but seeding fees, mailer tools, shipping drives, and contractor hours to manage them are not.
2. Engineering invoices continue — April content-update contractors overlap T-90; March runway discipline must not be raided for press vanity.
3. Outreach without caps — T-90 listicle C gates prove roster honesty; they do not prove affordability.
4. Labor Day inbox spam — Buying boosts in early September without PR stop rules wastes cash after creators already booked competing demos.
5. BUILD_RECEIPT gap — Partners see october_t90_creator_outreach_ok without press_budget_ok—cash surprises in diligence zips.

Direct answer: Fill the weekly outreach/key/press table from T-90 through T-14, wire stop rules PR1–PR5, file october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json with K1–K6 GREEN, set BUILD_RECEIPT press_budget_ok: true before any paid creator boost or paid press list send.

Who this worksheet is for

Time: ~60 minutes first worksheet; ~10 minutes each Sunday for actual_spend_usd.
Prerequisites: Bank remainder after April patch invoices, T-90 outreach calendar started or scheduled, review keys proof table path known, engineering contractor burn estimate from March runway style tracking.

Format ladder (October T-90 cash cluster)

Order: July signup / aftermath locks → T-90 tool stack → this budget receipt → paid seeding → T-60 keys after smoke → highlight reel handoff.

Beginner path — weekly outreach / key / press cap table

Copy into release-evidence/press/october-t90-press-budget-2026.md:

Beginner rule: key_ops + paid_seeding + press_tools ≤ weekly_press_pool. Steam keys themselves stay $0—the key-ops column is USB drives, mailer fees, contractor hours to send keys, and courier if you ship kits.

Success check: Each week has one outreach outcome (e.g., "T-75 no-key wave sent") and one engineering outcome (e.g., "content-update weekly jq GREEN")—not simultaneous vanity spends.

What counts toward the weekly press pool

Quasi-paid: Free Steam keys still consume ops cash when someone spends a day managing them—log that under key_ops_usd.

Developer path — gates K1–K6

Stop rules PR1–PR5

Honest limit: PR rules are studio policy encoded in receipts—not Steam rules. Document waiver notes when RED with producer sign-off.

october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json (template)

{
  "schema": "october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1",
  "fest_window": "2026-10-next-fest-live",
  "generated_at": "2026-07-15T18:00:00Z",
  "t90_press_pool_usd": 1950,
  "engineering_patch_float_usd": 3200,
  "weekly_caps": [
    {
      "week_label": "T-90",
      "week_start": "2026-07-14",
      "cap_usd": 150,
      "key_ops_usd": 50,
      "paid_seeding_usd": 0,
      "press_tools_usd": 100,
      "actual_spend_usd": null,
      "stop_rule": "PR1"
    },
    {
      "week_label": "T-60",
      "week_start": "2026-08-13",
      "cap_usd": 400,
      "key_ops_usd": 75,
      "paid_seeding_usd": 225,
      "press_tools_usd": 100,
      "actual_spend_usd": null,
      "stop_rule": "PR3"
    }
  ],
  "stop_rules": [
    {
      "id": "PR1",
      "trigger": "october_t90_creator_outreach_ok != true",
      "action": "paid_seeding_usd = 0"
    },
    {
      "id": "PR2",
      "trigger": "october_fest_signup_ok != true",
      "action": "paid_seeding_usd = 0"
    },
    {
      "id": "PR3",
      "trigger": "wednesday_smoke_or_rc_label_red",
      "action": "pause_new_key_batches_and_paid_seeding"
    },
    {
      "id": "PR4",
      "trigger": "engineering_patch_float_overrun",
      "action": "freeze_paid_seeding"
    },
    {
      "id": "PR5",
      "trigger": "t14_without_embargo_lock OR week_t7",
      "action": "hard_zero_new_press_spend"
    }
  ],
  "pointers": {
    "t90_outreach": "release-evidence/press/OCTOBER_T90_CREATOR_OUTREACH_RECEIPT.json",
    "review_key_proof": "release-evidence/05-press/REVIEW_KEY_PROOF.md",
    "july_signup": "release-evidence/ops/OCTOBER_FEST_SIGNUP_RECEIPT.json",
    "engineering_float": "release-evidence/ops/APRIL_PATCH_CONTRACTOR_FLOAT.md"
  },
  "gates": {
    "K1": "GREEN",
    "K2": "GREEN",
    "K3": "GREEN",
    "K4": "GREEN",
    "K5": "GREEN",
    "K6": "GREEN"
  },
  "press_budget_ok": true,
  "notes": "Keys $0; key_ops covers mailer+hours only"
}

BUILD_RECEIPT root rows

{
  "press_budget_ok": true,
  "press_budget_planned_usd": 1950,
  "october_t90_press_budget_receipt": "release-evidence/press/OCTOBER_T90_PRESS_BUDGET_RECEIPT.json",
  "engineering_patch_float_usd": 3200
}

verify_october_t90_press_budget.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
REC="${1:-release-evidence/press/OCTOBER_T90_PRESS_BUDGET_RECEIPT.json}"

jq -e '.schema == "october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1"' "$REC" || exit 1
jq -e '(.weekly_caps | length) >= 5' "$REC" || exit 2
SUM=$(jq '[.weekly_caps[].cap_usd] | add' "$REC")
POOL=$(jq -r '.t90_press_pool_usd' "$REC")
jq -n --argjson s "$SUM" --argjson p "$POOL" '$s <= $p' | grep -q true || exit 3
jq -e '(.engineering_patch_float_usd // 0) > 0' "$REC" || exit 4
for g in K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6; do
  jq -e --arg g "$g" '.gates[$g] == "GREEN"' "$REC" || exit 5
done
jq -e '.press_budget_ok == true' "$REC" || exit 6
echo "october_t90_press_budget verify: OK"

Worked example — T-90 through T-60 (synthetic)

Lesson: Deferring T-75 seeding saved cash for a cleaner T-60 after roster GREEN—budgeting without PR rules would have spent early.

Crosswalk with engineering float (K3)

Do not invent a second runway worksheet here—borrow numbers from whatever tracks April patch contractor spend (patterned after March engineering runway):

If engineering overrun triggers PR4, paid seeding freezes even if outreach C gates are GREEN.

RED / YELLOW / GREEN routing

Common mistakes

Treating Steam keys as free total cost — Ops hours and tools still burn cash.
Raiding engineering float for seeding — K3 / PR4 exist for this.
Buying boosts before roster embargo columns — Pair T-90 listicle.
Using January marketing table as October — Different fest window and categories.
Confusing review-key labeling with budget — Scope checklist ≠ spend cap.
Zeroing T-7 without saying so — Make PR5 explicit so Slack cannot reopen spend.
No actual_spend_usd updates — Sunday ten minutes or receipt lies.

Sunday update ritual (ten minutes)

## Press budget Sunday — {week_label}
- planned_cap: $
- actual_spend: $
- variance: $
- PR rules firing: none / PR#
- engineering_float remaining: $
- next week paid_seeding allowed: Y/N

Relationship to forward highlight reel

Forward blog #12 (Whisper creator highlight reel handoff) spends editor time, not always cash—but if you hire cutdowns, put those fees in T-30/T-14 paid_seeding_usd or a clip_edit_usd subcolumn before expanding this schema. Budget receipt first; glamorous reels second.

Paid-seeding fee taxonomy (so K2 stays honest)

Studios undercount because invoices land in random Slack threads. Classify every dollar into exactly one column:

Rule: If a freelancer invoice says "press kit + key sends," split it before filing the Sunday actual—do not dump the whole invoice into seeding and pretend tools were free.

Mini invoice stub (copy into release-evidence/press/invoices/)

## Invoice stub — {vendor} — {week_label}
- invoice_id:
- amount_usd:
- bucket: A | B | C
- maps_to_roster_row: {creator_id or "batch"}
- PR rule check at invoice time: none / PR#
- paid_after_gate: outreach_ok / smoke_ok / waiver:{note}

Comparison pack — which money worksheet?

Using January's weekly table for October seeding without renaming columns is how teams "accidentally" double-count trailers as press kit fees.

Proof table (partners / diligence)

Scenarios A–G

Printable producer card (Monday approval)

OCTOBER T-90 PRESS BUDGET — Monday gate
Week label: ________  Cap: $____
A tools / B seeding / C key-ops planned: $____ / $____ / $____
Outreach ok? Y/N   Signup ok? Y/N   Smoke/RC? G/Y/R
Eng float remaining: $____
PR firing: none / PR#
Approve paid_seeding this week? Y/N  Signer: ____ Date: ____

Tape this next to the T-90 outreach roster tablet so cash and embargo columns are approved together.

CI sketch (optional)

# .github/workflows/press-budget.yml (illustrative)
name: october-t90-press-budget
on:
  pull_request:
    paths:
      - "release-evidence/press/OCTOBER_T90_PRESS_BUDGET_RECEIPT.json"
jobs:
  verify:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - run: bash scripts/verify_october_t90_press_budget.sh

Fail the PR when someone edits weekly_caps upward without raising t90_press_pool_usd—K2 must not be optional theater.

Worked narrative — two founders, one collision week

Studio North ran T-90 tools perfectly: roster embargo columns, C1–C6 GREEN by July 28. They skipped this worksheet. On August 12 they paid three $250 seeding fees the same week an Addressables contractor invoice for $2,100 landed. September cash was thin; October RC smoke contractor had to wait two weeks. Outreach GREEN did not equal wallet GREEN.

Studio South filed october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json on July 15 with engineering_patch_float_usd: 3200 and T-60 seeding capped at $225. When the same $2,100 invoice arrived, PR4 froze seeding; they kept one key batch after smoke GREEN and deferred paid creators to T-30 with a smaller list. Coverage was quieter; RC week was funded. Partners preferred South's diligence zip.

How keys schedule against smoke (ops, not labels)

Borrow the weekly smoke ritual mindset from Wednesday smoke without duplicating that tutorial:

1. Sunday — update press budget actuals.
2. Monday — producer card: approve or zero paid_seeding_usd.
3. Wednesday — smoke/RC gate; PR3 decides if key batches send.
4. Thursday — if you run a content-update row review (forward #11), note any label bump that invalidates last week's key email template.
5. Friday — only then schedule weekend key-ops hours if cap remains.

This calendar keeps key-ops contractors from inventing overtime that silently blows key_ops_usd.

Waiver notes (when RED is intentional)

{
  "waiver_id": "PRESS-WAIVER-2026-08-20",
  "gates_overridden": ["PR1"],
  "reason": "Publisher-mandated curator fee before roster lock",
  "amount_usd": 150,
  "signed_by": "producer",
  "expires_week_label": "T-60"
}

Store waivers beside the receipt. Infinite waivers defeat K6—review waivers in the same Monday card.

PowerShell verify cousin (Windows)

$rec = Get-Content release-evidence/press/OCTOBER_T90_PRESS_BUDGET_RECEIPT.json -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
if ($rec.schema -ne "october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1") { throw "schema" }
$sum = ($rec.weekly_caps | Measure-Object -Property cap_usd -Sum).Sum
if ($sum -gt $rec.t90_press_pool_usd) { throw "K2 sum>$pool" }
if (-not $rec.press_budget_ok) { throw "latch" }
"OK press_budget"

Studios without bash can still fail-close locally before zipping partners.

FAQ extras studios ask in Slack

Can MailerLite annual plans sit outside the weekly pool?
If already paid earlier in the year, exclude from T-90 weekly caps—still list them in a sunk_tools_note so investors do not think press is free. New upgrades in July–September count.

Do Discord Nitro gifts to creators count?
Yes—paid_seeding_usd (or tools if you buy Nitro for the studio account used for outreach).

What about physical press kits for journalists?
Postage + print = key_ops_usd or a new physical_kit_usd subcolumn that still rolls into the weekly sum for K2.

Is press_budget_ok required for Steam Participate?
No—Steam does not read your receipt. Partners and your own October cash do.

Outbound references

• Steamworks review keys — key requests (cash-free codes; ops still cost)
• Steam Next Fest news — fest windows for calendar anchors
• Steamworks documentation — store / marketing context

Key takeaways

1. T-90 outreach needs cash caps—tools alone do not prove affordability.
2. Gates K1–K6 cover weekly table, pool sum, engineering float, PR rules, receipt, latch.
3. Stop rules PR1–PR5 pause paid seeding when outreach, signup, smoke, eng float, or embargo fail.
4. october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json + press_budget_ok.
5. Steam keys are $0; key_ops still burns cash.
6. Pair T-90 listicle for roster gates—not spend.
7. Pair review keys for scope—not budget.
8. Pair January marketing cap as cousin weekly cash form.
9. Pair March engineering runway for float discipline.
10. T-7 is hard-zero by PR5—roster freeze includes wallet freeze.
11. Forward #12 highlight reel comes after budget honesty.
12. verify_october_t90_press_budget.sh fail-closes empty float.
13. Sunday actuals keep receipts from becoming fiction.
14. Do not raid April patch contractor float for September vanity boosts.

FAQ

Is this the same as the January marketing spend cap?
No—January owns Jan–Feb return-week marketing; this owns July–October T-90 press/key cash.

Do Steam review keys count as spend?
Codes are $0; ops, mailers, and seeding fees count.

Can we spend tools before outreach receipt?
Yes under PR1; paid seeding waits for outreach ok (or waiver).

What if engineering float is unknown?
K3 RED until you file a float number—even a conservative estimate.

How does this relate to review key labeling?
Labeling checklist owns DEMO scope truth; this owns whether you can afford the campaign.

When does highlight reel work start?
After budget + embargo discipline—forward #12.

Related GamineAI reads

• 14 Free Creator Outreach Press Kit Tools October T-90
• Steam Review Keys and Press Demo Scope Labeling
• January Marketing Spend Cap Worksheet
• March Engineering Cash Runway Worksheet
• July 2026 October Next Fest Signup Compression
• June 2026 Next Fest Aftermath
• BUILD_RECEIPT Beginner Pipeline
• Forward: blog #12 Whisper creator highlight reel handoff

Closing

Outreach without a budget receipt is theater—cap weekly key-ops and seeding cash, protect engineering float, wire PR1–PR5, and file october_t90_press_budget_receipt_v1.json before the first paid creator boost. Pair T-90 tools and review key labeling so coverage vocabulary and wallet discipline both survive October.