Great point!
This jam is laid-back and unranked, which is why there isn't a feature to encourage people to start work around the jam's start date.
That said, in the spirit of the jam, it's something that I definitely encourage people to do - otherwise you could just make a game, well, whenever!
But there's certainly nothing stopping you from setting up your game if you need to prepare. I hope that helps answer your question!
- FSV