The Sprint Demo Challenge

We've all been there. During the pre-demo check-in, you think to yourself "I don't really have anything to demo this sprint." I've been there myself more times than I'd like to admit. It's easy to fall into this trap, especially when you're deep in the weeds on something that doesn't have flashy UI changes or an obvious visual component.

But here's the thing - I've come to realize that "nothing to demo" is almost always a missed opportunity. And as security professionals, we can't afford to miss these opportunities.

The Visibility Challenge

I remember a particular sprint this year where I'd spent two weeks updating implementation details on an SSP. When demo day came around, I almost skipped it. "It's just backend work," I told myself. "Nobody wants to see me talk about compliance work for five minutes."

After thinking about it longer, I came to realize the "demo" could also be categorized as: "Show us what you did and why it matters."

So I put together a few slides explaining the before and after states, showed a quick diagram of the changes, and briefly demonstrated why it's important to the project.

The result? Our project manager reached out and told me that they now understood why this work had to be done and why it's important.

That's when it clicked for me: demos aren't just about showing off completed features - they're about making your work visible.

Why Visibility Matters

In the world of security, cloud, and DevOps, much of our best work happens below the surface. We prevent problems before they occur. We improve systems in ways that users never directly see. We reduce risk in ways that are hard to quantify.

When our work remains invisible:

• Our contributions get undervalued
• Knowledge stays siloed
• Opportunities for collaboration get missed
• Important security improvements don't get the attention they deserve

What's Actually Demo-Worthy (But Often Overlooked)

Here are some things I've seen people skip demoing that absolutely deserve spotlight:

Infrastructure Improvements

• Terraform refactoring that made your codebase 30% smaller
• The new CI/CD pipeline that cuts build times in half (or adds security scans + artifacts)
• How you reduced cloud costs by optimizing resource allocation
• A more efficient backup strategy

Security Enhancements

• New automated scanning tools you've integrated
• Improvements to access controls
• Vulnerability remediation (even if it was "just fixing a CVE")
• Security monitoring improvements

Invisible Technical Progress

• Database query optimizations
• API performance improvements
• Code quality testing

Knowledge Work

• Documentation improvements
• Runbooks you've created or updated
• Troubleshooting guides
• Architecture decision records

I once watched an engineer give what they thought was a boring demo about database query optimization. They showed before/after query timing metrics and explained their reasoning. It turned into one of our most interesting demos when people realized the performance impact across the entire application.

Making Your Demo Engaging

Even the most technical work can be presented in an engaging way. Here's what I've found works:

Focus on the "Why"

Don't just show what you did - explain the problem you were solving and why it matters. One of my most successful demos was when I explained a DNS security enhancement by starting with a short war story about an incident at a previous company.

Use Visuals Liberally

• Architecture diagrams: I'm a huge fan of Excalidraw for quick, shareable diagrams
• Before/after comparisons: Screenshots, metrics, or code snippets
• Flow charts: Draw.io is my go-to for these
• Metaphors: I once explained a complex security control using a house security system analogy (or video games, etc.) with simple illustrations

Know Your Audience

I've learned to tailor my demos based on who's in the room:

• For technical team members: I show more implementation details
• For product/business folks: I focus on risk reduction and business impact
• For leadership: I emphasize alignment with company objectives and quantifiable outcomes

Practice the Art of the 5-Minute Demo

I've found that the best sprint demos are concise. I practice keeping mine under 5 minutes by:

• Starting with a one-sentence summary of what I did
• Hitting only the highest-impact points
• Preparing answers to likely questions in advance
• Having "bonus slides" ready for deeper dives if interest emerges (not always needed or applicable)

How to Get Started

If you're not comfortable with demos yet, start small:

1. Choose just one piece of work from your sprint
2. Create a single visual representation of it (diagram, screenshot, or before/after comparison)
3. Practice explaining it in under 3 minutes
4. Focus on why it matters, not just what you did

The Long-Term Benefits

Since making "demo everything" my personal policy, I've noticed:

• More cross-team collaboration on security initiatives
• Better understanding of security priorities from product teams
• Increased visibility for my contributions
• More effective knowledge sharing across specialties
• Faster identification of redundant work

Final Thoughts

The next time you catch yourself thinking "I don't have anything to demo," I challenge you to reframe it. Ask instead: "What did I learn or improve this sprint that others might benefit from knowing?"

In the worlds of security, our most valuable work often happens in the shadows. Sprint demos are our chance to bring that work into the light - not to show off, but to share knowledge, build understanding, and create opportunities for collaboration.

What will you demo next sprint?