review · Feedback, Strategy, Decision Making · 60 min · 4-6 people · medium energy
Demo Trust
The Demo Trust is a structured feedback session where project teams present their work to a leadership panel for guidance and course correction. It ensures alignment with broader strategies and validates the value of the project early and often.
When to use Demo Trust
Use this method when a project team needs to validate their direction with leadership, ensure alignment with overall strategy, and receive timely feedback to avoid costly rework later in the project lifecycle.
What it solves
Misalignment between project execution and strategic goals, leading to wasted effort and rework. Also addresses the need for leadership to scale their guidance across multiple projects effectively.
How to run Demo Trust, step by step
- Prep (30 min): Project team schedules a 1-hour session, sends agenda and background materials (project poster, journey maps, prototypes) to the leadership team.
- Set the Stage (5 min): Project team clarifies the project's lifecycle stage, reviews the agenda, and adjusts priorities as needed.
- Demo, Discuss, Decide (50 min): Project team demos their work, focusing on the end-to-end journey and value proposition. Leadership team questions, challenges, and provides guidance. The group decides on high-level course corrections.
- Take a Confidence Vote (5 min): Each participant rates their confidence in the project (1-4 scale) and briefly explains their rating.
Materials needed
- Laptop
- Large display screen
- Whiteboard
- Project poster
- Journey maps
- Prototypes
- Agenda
Facilitator tips
- Ensure the project team presents their best idea, not open-ended questions. Encourage the leadership team to provide specific and actionable feedback.
- Watch for signs of misalignment or duplicated efforts with other teams. Facilitate connections to streamline work.
Common pitfalls
- Presenting nearly-complete work, indicating the Demo Trust should have been run sooner. Be prepared for potential rework.
- Getting bogged down in details during the discussion. Keep the focus on high-level course corrections.
Variations
- Run the Demo Trust more frequently for high-risk or uncertain projects.
- Adjust the composition of the leadership panel based on the project's specific needs.
Running it online or hybrid
Share materials digitally beforehand. Use virtual whiteboards for real-time feedback and confidence voting.
What it produces
A shared understanding of the project's direction, documented course corrections, and a confidence rating indicating the level of support from the leadership panel.
Origin
Adapted from Atlassian — source
Build a session around Demo Trust
METODIC places Demo Trust inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.