Startup Demo

Yesterday I attended the demoes of two startups in startup saturday meet. It was an interesting contrast between the ways the two presented and I wondered what are the points to keep in mind to have a really good demo. Coincidently, I saw a post on the same topic in the evening. Some of the points from the post (including some of my own) that I thought really should be kept in mind:

• Show your product within the first 60 seconds: I think this is really important as most of the people are waiting to see how are you going to solve their problem. The longer it takes for you to show your product, the worse your product is. If a picture tells a thousand stories, then a product demo tells a million. Note: Show your product immediately, and if you don’t have a product to show don’t plan the demo.
• The best products take less than five minutes to demo: If your products takes more than this time then it means that your users will also be not able to understand it. You need not show the advance features in the demo.
• Leave people wanting more: This is really important and it makes sure that they are not sleeping while you demo the product. It’s best for folks to discover the merits of your product for themselves, and it’s up to you to make such a compelling core product that they are intrigued enough to explore it.
• Understand your competitors: You should have researched well in advance about all your competitors (current and historical). You should know about their team background, investors (if any), value they provide and how you differentiate from them.
• PowerPoint bullet slides are death: Do not make slide after slide explaining your business in bullet points, because it’s really, really boring.
• Be clear about your business model: Everybody knows that you have started your startup to create some business. So, don’t just say that you have not thought about the business model.
• Be prepared for no internet connection: You should not just assume that an internet connection (or a fast connection) will be available at the demo place. Be prepared to give demo with the local copy.