Demo Prep

Demo Prep

Create a demo script for "$ARGUMENTS". Define the audience, build a narrative flow, write talking points for each feature, prepare for questions, and create a fallback plan.

Prerequisites

Check that .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md exists. If it does not, tell the user to run an Initiate skill first (e.g., project-charter) and stop.

If the user passes --skip-checks, skip the prerequisite check and log the skip to .project/$ARGUMENTS/skip-log.md with a timestamp and reason.

Process

1. Read existing context:

   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md for stakeholder map and project context
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/03-review.md if it exists (for sprint review and completed features)
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/02-sprint.md if it exists (for sprint state and delivery details)
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/01-plan.md if it exists (for backlog and feature descriptions)

2. Define demo audience and what they care about:

   • Identify who will attend the demo (executives, engineers, users, product team, external stakeholders)
   • For each audience segment, define what they care about:
     • Executives: outcomes, business impact, timeline, budget implications
     • Engineers: how it works, architecture decisions, technical trade-offs
     • Users: what it does for them, workflow improvements, ease of use
     • Product team: alignment with roadmap, user feedback, next priorities
   • Choose a primary audience to optimize the framing for (adjust depth and language accordingly)

3. Create demo flow:

   • Select features to demo and order them to build a narrative (do not just list features randomly)
   • Start with the most impactful or visible feature to hook the audience
   • Build logically: show features in the order a user would encounter them, or by theme
   • End with a forward-looking item (what is coming next) to maintain momentum
   • Allocate time per feature: 2-3 minutes each, total demo 15-20 minutes
   • Leave 10 minutes for questions and discussion at the end

4. Write talking points for each feature:

   • For each feature in the demo flow, write:
     • Opening line: benefit-first statement ("This lets users do X 50% faster")
     • What to show: specific actions to perform in the demo (click here, enter this, see that)
     • Key takeaway: the one thing the audience should remember about this feature
     • Transition: how to smoothly move to the next feature
   • Keep talking points concise — bullet points, not paragraphs
   • Avoid jargon for non-technical audiences; use precise terms for technical audiences

5. Prepare for common questions and objections:

   • Anticipate 5-10 questions the audience is likely to ask
   • For each question, prepare a concise answer (2-3 sentences maximum)
   • Common categories: timeline ("when will this be in production?"), scope ("can it also do X?"), risk ("what if Y fails?"), comparison ("how is this different from Z?")
   • Prepare deflection responses for questions that need follow-up ("Great question — let's schedule time to dig into that")
   • Identify any sensitive topics to avoid or handle carefully

6. Create fallback plan if live demo fails:

   • Prepare screenshots or screen recordings of the demo flow as backup
   • If using a staging environment, have a local or pre-recorded backup ready
   • Know which features are most stable and which are risky to demo live
   • Have a recovery script: if something breaks mid-demo, what do you say and do?
   • Test the demo environment before the meeting (connectivity, data, credentials)

7. Time the demo:

   • Target total time: 15-20 minutes for demo, 10 minutes for questions (30 minutes total)
   • Allocate time per section: intro (2 min), features (2-3 min each), wrap-up (2 min), Q&A (10 min)
   • Mark optional features that can be skipped if running long
   • Mark must-show features that cannot be cut

8. Write the artifact — append to .project/$ARGUMENTS/03-review.md under a ## Demo Prep section:

   • Audience — who is attending and what they care about
   • Demo Flow — ordered list of features with time allocation
   • Talking Points — per-feature opening line, what to show, key takeaway, and transition
   • Q&A Preparation — anticipated questions with answers
   • Fallback Plan — backup strategy if live demo fails
   • Timing — total time, per-section allocation, must-show vs. optional features

Output

Demo prep appended to .project/$ARGUMENTS/03-review.md. Present a summary highlighting:

• Target audience and framing approach
• Number of features in the demo flow
• Total demo time and Q&A allocation
• Top 3 anticipated questions
• Fallback plan status (screenshots/recordings ready or needed)