Slides Are Dead, Long Live the Demo

There’s a recurring debate in tech conference circles: are live demos the gold standard for engaging presentations, or are they just flashy distractions? Ask around, and you’ll hear a familiar refrain: “Forget the slides. Just show me the thing working!” I get it. Demos are dynamic. They carry the thrill of unpredictability. Watching something real happen in real time feels more exciting than clicking through a static deck.

But as a writer and frequent presenter, I’d like to offer a more nuanced take: it depends.

The most effective presentations aren’t necessarily demo-driven or slide-driven. They’re purpose-driven.

It’s not about format; it’s about what the audience walks away with. Are they leaving with insights? New skills? A roadmap to try something on their own? If not, even the flashiest demo can fall flat.

Demos Without Direction

I’ve sat through countless demo-only sessions at conferences. I’ve witnesses screens full of brand-spanking-new product features, bleeding-edge web UIs, and real-time data migrations and transformations. Some were exhilarating. There’s something compelling about watching a tool in action or seeing a prototype unfold live. But too often, I walked away with a vague sense of “Ok, that was cool,” and not much else.

No clear next step. No takeaways. No structure to help me recall what I just saw.

This is where the danger lies in treating demos as the end-all. They’re great at showing what’s possible. But without context or framing, they often fail at teaching. And in a conference setting where attendees are trying to learn, evaluate, or make decisions, that can be a missed opportunity.

The Case for Slideware (Yes, Really)

I’ll admit it: I like slides. Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I see slides as a narrative scaffold. They’re a way to structure ideas, sequence thoughts, and guide the audience through a journey. But here’s the key: the slides are never the story. They’re visual anchors for the story I’m telling.

I don’t read from them. I do sometimes treat them as handouts, but mostly I build them to support the audience’s experience. A well-crafted slide — especially one that visually breaks down what’s being demoed — can make the difference between temporary excitement and long-term understanding.

Screenshots, annotated diagrams, architecture breakdowns, even code highlights can make a session “sticky.” When paired with a story, they help people remember. When combined with a demo, they help people apply.

You Can Have Both

This isn’t an either/or situation. Great presenters mix demos with just enough structure to make them meaningful. You can absolutely run a demo-rich session that also gives the audience something to hold onto.

Here’s how I think about it:

• Start with the “why.” Before launching into a demo, give people a reason to care. What problem is this solving? Who does it help? What’s the outcome?
• Use your slides to frame the journey. A slide doesn’t need to be text-heavy. It can be a diagram, a question, or a single image that sets up the next part of the story.
• Treat your demo like a narrative. Don’t just walk through steps. Explain the choices you’re making as you go. Pause to highlight key concepts. Show both success and failure modes.
• End with a path forward. What should the audience do next? Try a tutorial? Clone a repo? Change how they approach a certain problem? Give them something concrete.

In many ways, my own presentations are demo-rich, even when there’s no live environment on screen. I use my slides to walk through real scenarios, explore challenges, and show how a solution unfolds. I’m telling a story — not just about how something works, but why it matters and what to do with it.

The Bottom Line

The format of your talk should serve the goal of your talk. If your audience is best served by seeing something live, go for the demo. If they need time to absorb a complex concept, maybe slow it down with a slide that lays it out visually. Or better yet, do both. I really like the pre-recorded demo-through-animated-GIF model that allows you to show something in short, tight bursts with relevant content surrounding the demo.

At their best, slides and demos aren’t in competition; they’re complementary tools. The real art is knowing how to blend them to create something memorable, useful, and actionable.

So are slides dead? Not really.

Are demos overrated? Not exactly.

But if you’re crafting a presentation that respects your audience’s time, attention, and curiosity, you’ll find a way to bring both into the mix. Because the best sessions aren’t about the medium. They’re about the message.

Long live the demo. And long live the story that makes it matter.