Demo the VALUE not the work

We've all experienced good demos where you come out excited and understanding the purpose and benefits of the product.

Unfortunately, you also have the opposite where you got lost and left with a feeling that what was shown is awfully complex. This happens when the demo is used to demonstrate the work done instead of the value delivered. And You end-up being shown how complex and difficult the work was or, how much a member had contribute to the delivery. A demo is not the time to do this.

The audience does not care about how hard or complex the work was. Nor do they care about on having the proof that you've delivered 100% a feature, or that your code and test are well written and executed.

During a demo, the audience only care about the incremental value you are bringing.

A way to determine if a demo is good,

Is whether it helps the audience in answering those questions :

1. Who was this built for?
2. What problem it want solve?
3. Is what you propose help in solving the problem and to what extent?
4. How much better you solve the problem relative to existing alternatives?
5. What are the new opportunities your solution now enable?
6. Bonus : How can your solution be improved to bring more value?

In a demo, anything that doesn’t contribute to answer those questions should be left out.

5 things to help you achieve a good demo

• Know your Audience: Who are they? What are their Expectations ? Why are they assisting to your demo? How knowledgeable are they?
• Know you subject: Master what you are showing.
• Rehearse the demo:?Try emulate some of question you might get from the audience. Practice with your team.
• Plan the demo: When possible, in your invite, add a description of the value you intent to demonstrate. Plan who will do what and for how long. Do not send additional complex materials (nobody really reads them). Instead provide TLDR version of them.
• Synthesize: Focus on the core value delivered; Be Concise in your explanations; use Simple terms and language.

Put Simply,

A demo is not the place to prove or show how hard or complex your work was. There are other events or ceremonies for that.

A Demo is the place where you show the value of your work using synthesis (Focus, Concision and Simplicity) to make the complex simple and understandable by your audience.

When done well, a demo enable your audience to provide feedback on the value you have delivered and potential value you could deliver in the future.