Demo Spec Template
Purpose: Define hypothesis and minimal design for a 1-day demo.
When to use: After a customer call where a potential opportunity was identified. Before committing to building anything.
Inputs Required
- 1-hour customer call transcript (or detailed notes)
- Understanding of customer's current process
- Sense of what "success" looks like for them
Template
1. Hypothesis
What are we proving or disproving?
Format: "We believe that [solution] will [benefit] for [customer] because [reason]."
This is the headline. If the demo succeeds, what have we learned?
2. Customer Context
Key insights from the call transcript.
- What problem did they describe?
- What's their current workaround?
- What would "better" look like to them?
- What constraints did they mention?
3. Core Functionality
What the demo MUST do (maximum 3 things).
Be ruthless. A demo that does one thing well beats a demo that does five things poorly.
4. Out of Scope
What we're explicitly NOT building.
Write this down so you don't scope-creep mid-build.
5. Success Criteria
How do we know the demo worked?
What reaction are we looking for? What question should they ask? What should they want to do next?
6. Technical Approach
High-level, 2-3 sentences max.
What are you building this with? What shortcuts are you taking? What can you reuse?
7. Data Requirements
What specific data do we need?
- Source system (Shopify, Salesforce, CSV export, etc.)
- Format (API, export file, database access)
- Key fields needed
- Who provides it and when
No data = no demo. Get this locked down early.
8. User & Workflow Context
Who uses this and where does it fit?
- Who is the primary user?
- Where in their workflow does this fit?
- What's the "before" state? (What do they do today?)
9. Sample Scenario
Walk through a concrete example.
User enters X → System shows Y → User learns Z.
If you can't write this, your demo isn't concrete enough.
10. Risks / Unknowns
What could make this demo fail?
- Data quality issues?
- Missing fields or access?
- Ambiguous requirements?
- Technical unknowns?
11. Pre-Demo Checklist
What must be true before you start building?
A checklist of concrete prerequisites. Don't start until these are checked.
Outputs
- Completed demo spec (1 page max)
- Clear go/no-go decision on whether to spend the day building
Tips
- Write the hypothesis first. If you can't articulate it clearly, you're not ready to build.
- The demo spec should take 30 minutes max. If it's taking longer, you're overthinking it.
- "Customer" includes internal teams. If you're building for yourself, you're still a customer.
- A rejected hypothesis is still progress. Better to learn in a day than a month.
Next: Demo Review Meeting (after the demo is built)