Demo the Team's Work

In Scrum, we strive to deliver a working product at the end of every sprint. But what's the point if no one knows about it? Scrum's answer to this is the Demo.

As you know, the PO is accountable for accepting or rejecting what's been delivered. Whatever they accept is ready to be demonstrated to a larger audience. Remember, the PO is accountable to the other stakeholders as their representative to ensure they get what they want.

This is the difference between Traditional Waterfall Design and Agile's Scrum Methodology. In waterfall, once the project is completed, we get to know the stakeholder's feedback but in agile, at the end of every sprint, demo is required to get the feedback from the stakeholder.

The demo is how the PO and team make sure the stakeholders are happy with what we're delivering. The demo is a powerful ceremony for Scrum teams. The demo builds trust between the team and the stakeholders. It's a great opportunity for the team to receive direct feedback.

The stakeholders get to see for themselves the work being done on their behalf. They provide feedback to the team, both praise for what's been done, and suggestions for changes, also known as new stories. The PO will capture these and after the demo, set about adding details and setting the new stories for their backlog. Sometimes, the stakeholders will see something that's demonstrated and decide they don't want it after all. That's completely okay.

Another advantage of the demo is to let the stakeholders know who is working on their project. They get to see for themselves the skills and dedication each team member brings to every sprint. This is an opportunity to build relationships between the team and stakeholders. This visibility gives the stakeholders a broader, more balanced perspective on what it takes to create their product.

Additionally, the stakeholders will see the team's willingness to receive feedback and adapt to their changing needs. Finally, the demo shows the overall progress toward the final goal. Your PO will keep your product road map and release plan up to date after every sprint. This is where you show them to your stakeholders. Your team is bringing the stakeholders along on the journey with them. The stakeholders can also provide feedback on the timing and contents of each planned release.

Note: Be sure you demo regularly to keep your product and stakeholders in close alignment.