Underrated Skills: Giving a Good Demo
Bridging the Gap Between What You Built and Why It Matters
Developers often focus on building, not necessarily on how they demo. They treat it like a status update—clicking through features and assuming the work speaks for itself.
But a demo isn't just about proving something works—it's about telling a story. A good demo connects the dots between the problem, the solution, and its impact. It requires clarity, empathy—and a bit of stagecraft.
Who is your audience? What do they care about? Are you guiding them through the aha moments, or just clicking through features?
A bad demo can make even a great product feel underwhelming, while a good one builds excitement and wins buy-in. Here are a few ways to make your demos more effective—and maybe even a little more engaging:
Know Your Audience
A demo is like writing good code—clarity and intent matter.
Engineers want to see architecture, product managers want to see the features and its experience, and business leaders care about outcomes.
What matters to them? Speed, usability, cost savings? Tailor your demo to their priorities.
Identify the moment that will make them say, "Oh, this is great!"—and build toward it.
Set the Context
Jumping straight into a demo without context is like pitching a movie by describing random scenes instead of the plot. Give your audience a reason to care:
Problem: "Currently, customers spend 7 minutes on this form, causing frustration and drop-offs."
Solution: "We redesigned the workflow to reduce this to under 60 seconds."
Impact: "This improves conversion rates and reduces support tickets."
Keep It Crisp
Demos aren't walkthroughs. No one needs to see every menu, every setting, or hear how hard it was to debug an issue. Jump straight to what matters. Set the stage with a quick problem statement, show the solution, and highlight why it's useful.
Show, Don't Just Explain
The best demos minimize words and maximize clarity. Instead of saying, "This API makes it easier to fetch data," show a side-by-side of before and after. Instead of saying, "We improved performance," show a live comparison. Let people see the impact.
Be Interactive
A demo isn't a monologue; it's a conversation.
Pause for reactions instead of rushing through.
Watch body language for confusion or excitement.
Invite questions—if no one asks anything, they might not be connecting.
Plan For Failure (Because It Happens)
Demos break. Networks drop. Bugs appear. It happens. Have a backup plan—recorded video, screenshots, a local version. Confidence comes from knowing you can recover.
Close Strong
Don't trail off with "So, that's it." End with purpose:
Tie back to business impact: "This reduces processing time by 60%."
Ask for specific next steps: "Should we discuss rollout?"
Leave them with excitement about what comes next.
A great demo isn't about what you show—it's about what your audience remembers. Think of it as a bridge between your work and their understanding. You're not just proving your code runs; you're helping people see why it matters.
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