The DEMO Method

While working on a new kind of project management tool I realized that the best work I’ve done in the past was with teams who reveled in giving demos to each other.

This made me realize that you could actually codify this proces.

I call it The DEMO Method.

It is not meant to replace Scrum, Lean, or Kanban. Nor should it replace OKRs, KPIs, or PPIs.

Instead it can be used in addition to your favorite methodology.

The sole purpose of the DEMO Method is to make every material (i.e. important or impactful) objective demonstrable. Hence the acronym DEMO which stands for Demonstrate Every Material Objective.

The DEMO Method encourages to communicate project status through demonstrations. Demos are an effective way to inform team members, leadership, and customers about progress. Oftentimes demos result in new ideas and improvements.

The DEMO Method’s five rules are easy to apply:

1. Teams hold weekly demo meetings. Preferably team members take turns giving demos. Group managers give monthly demos. Upper management gives demos several times per year.

2. A demo can be in any shape or form (deck, screencast, live or pre-recorded). Weekly demos should not last longer than a TED Talk (18 minutes).

3. At minimum two artifacts must be published per demo: 1) a screenshot, screencast, or short written synopsis, and 2) a list of contributors. An archive of demo content should be kept.

4. Every demo must cover a material objective, such as a new feature, new hire, new tool, new procedure, et cetera.

5. Demo attendees are encouraged to send a message to the demo presenter afterwards using a sentence that starts with “Have you considered …”

Let me know if this resonates with you.