Sprint Demo Best Practices

Sprint demos (reviews) showcase completed work and gather feedback. Good demos build stakeholder confidence and surface valuable insights. Bad demos are boring presentations that people skip. This guide covers running demos that matter.

Demo Structure

Preparation

Setting Up

DEMO PREPARATION
════════════════

BEFORE DEMO:
─────────────────────────────────────
Day before:
├── Confirm what's complete
├── Prepare demo environment
├── Test all demos work
├── Assign who demos what
├── Prepare talking points
└── No surprises

Demo environment:
├── Staging/demo environment
├── Fresh data if needed
├── Stable and tested
├── Fallback plan if breaks
└── Reliable setup

WHO DEMOS:
─────────────────────────────────────
Options:
├── Each person demos their work
├── One person demos all (consistent)
├── Rotate demo lead
├── Product Owner narrates value
└── Team decides

DEMO ORDER:
─────────────────────────────────────
Best practice:
├── Start with highest impact
├── Group related features
├── User journey flow
├── End with something good
├── Tell a story
└── Logical flow

Running the Demo

Demo Structure

DEMO FORMAT
═══════════

OPENING (5 min):
─────────────────────────────────────
"This sprint our goal was [goal].
We completed [X] of [Y] planned items.
Let me show you what we built."

├── Sprint goal reminder
├── Quick context
├── What's coming in demo
└── Set expectations

EACH DEMO ITEM:
─────────────────────────────────────
Structure for each feature:

1. CONTEXT (30 sec)
   "As a [user], I needed to [goal]"
   - Who is this for?
   - What problem does it solve?

2. DEMO (2-5 min)
   - Show it working
   - Real scenarios
   - Happy path first
   - Edge cases if interesting
   - Let it speak for itself

3. FEEDBACK (1-2 min)
   "Any questions or feedback?"
   - Invite input
   - Note for follow-up
   - Don't debate now

EXAMPLE DEMO:
─────────────────────────────────────
"Next I'll show the new invoice export.
Previously, finance had to manually copy data.
Now they click Export, choose format, done.
[shows feature]
Any questions before we move on?"

CLOSING (5 min):
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Summary of what shipped
├── What's coming next sprint
├── Open floor for questions
├── Thank everyone
└── Wrap up

Feedback Collection

Getting Good Input

FEEDBACK IN DEMOS
═════════════════

ENCOURAGING FEEDBACK:
─────────────────────────────────────
Good questions to ask:
├── "Does this solve the problem?"
├── "What's missing?"
├── "Any edge cases we should handle?"
├── "Would your team use this?"
├── "What would make this better?"
└── Open-ended questions

CAPTURING FEEDBACK:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Note-taker assigned
├── Capture all feedback
├── Don't filter during demo
├── Create backlog items later
├── Follow up with stakeholders
└── Nothing lost

HANDLING CRITICISM:
─────────────────────────────────────
When feedback is negative:
├── "Thank you for that feedback"
├── "We'll discuss as a team"
├── Don't get defensive
├── Note it down
├── Address later
└── Stay professional

WHAT NOT TO DO:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Argue with feedback
├── Promise immediate changes
├── Get defensive
├── Dismiss concerns
├── Over-explain
└── Stay open

Common Problems

Fixing Bad Demos

DEMO PROBLEMS
═════════════

PROBLEM: Nobody comes
─────────────────────────────────────
Causes:
├── Demos are boring
├── Wrong time
├── Not relevant to attendees
├── No value for stakeholders
└── Reputation problem

Solutions:
├── Make demos engaging
├── Invite right people personally
├── Show value they care about
├── Better time slot
├── Record for async
└── Rebuild trust

PROBLEM: Demo breaks
─────────────────────────────────────
Prevention:
├── Test before demo
├── Stable demo environment
├── Backup plan ready
├── Screenshots as fallback
└── Preparation

When it breaks:
├── Stay calm
├── Switch to backup
├── "Let me show screenshots"
├── Move on
├── Fix for next time
└── Handle gracefully

PROBLEM: Too technical
─────────────────────────────────────
Signs:
├── Stakeholders confused
├── Talking about code
├── No user context
├── Eyes glazing over
└── Missed the point

Fix:
├── Focus on user value
├── "What this means for users..."
├── Show, don't explain
├── Skip technical details
├── Business language
└── Audience appropriate

PROBLEM: Incomplete work shown
─────────────────────────────────────
Rule:
├── Only demo DONE work
├── No "almost finished"
├── No "just needs testing"
├── Done = Done
├── Skip incomplete items
└── Maintain credibility

GitScrum Support

Demo Preparation

GITSCRUM FOR DEMOS
══════════════════

SPRINT VIEW:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Filter by status: Done
├── See all completed work
├── Demo list ready
├── Clear what to show
└── Easy preparation

DEMO NOTES:
─────────────────────────────────────
NoteVault:
├── Demo script template
├── Feedback captured
├── Action items from feedback
├── Historical record
└── Documentation

FEEDBACK TO BACKLOG:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Create tasks from feedback
├── Label: demo-feedback
├── Link to demo notes
├── Prioritize with PO
├── Close the loop
└── Feedback tracked

Best Practices

For Sprint Demos

1. Working software only — Demo Done work
2. User value focus — Why it matters
3. Prepare and test — No surprises
4. Invite feedback — Listen actively
5. Time-box — Respect everyone's time

Anti-Patterns

DEMO MISTAKES:
✗ Skip demos
✗ Demo incomplete work
✗ Too technical
✗ No stakeholders invited
✗ Argue with feedback
✗ No preparation
✗ Run overtime
✗ Boring slideshow

Related Solutions

• Managing stakeholder expectations
• Sprint retrospective formats
• Team communication best practices