Language matters: a demo is not a review
Using the right words and metaphors is important to better understand what and why we're doing what we do
I remember when I was first introduced to semiotics in the Cynefin Virtual Basecamp during the pandemic. I was lost, I learned a lot, but back then the subject seemed abstract and I felt like it didn’t resonate with me. Oh boy, now it does.
Turns out language is probably one of the most mind-blowing topics I came across since I started studying philosophy, and it’s a one-way wormhole: once you start thinking about the meaning of words and symbols you can never go back. So much that when I stumbled upon Kent Beck’s last post (link below) I started to automatically reflect upon the word demo.
So, let’s try to delve into the meaning of two words we often use in software development: demo and review. Stick with me, I promise I’ll keep my feet on the ground.
What is a “demo”? Answer 1:
As someone who likes videogames, I remember playing a lot of demos when I was younger. The demos were basically a version of the game that had limited features, such as a single level, and there were magazines that would come with a CD-ROM containing dozens of demos so you could have a little taste of a game before committing your money and buying the full version of it. The demos still exist and are out there, they just don’t come in CD-ROMs anymore.
So, a demo was a demonstration of something that was already done. Its purpose was to allow people to test something before answering a simple question: is it worth my money? On the developers side, they were trying to demonstrate that the answer should be a sound “YES!”.
And that’s why I don’t like using the word demo in scenarios where the customer is already committed to the product development. They already invested their money there, so… what’s the point of offering them a demonstration?
What else is a “demo”? Answer 2:
The word demo could have a different meaning. Specially in low-trust environments, where the customer needs some proof of progress. Some way to validate that what is being produced by the team is 100% coherent with the initial specification.
Here customer, if you click here a popup window opens and an error message is shown, Q.E.D.
Q.E.D - quod erat demonstrandum, meaning "that which was to be demonstrated".
This time we are using a demonstration to prove something. To show the customer that we’ve been working since our last meeting and that the progress we made matches the initial expectations.
This meaning fits some software development teams better, but still has a problem: a demonstration is not about gathering feedback.
What about a “review”?
Re-view. To view again. Does it work?
“Let’s look at the software we’re producing one more time and check if we’re heading to the correct destination.”
That sounds good. But I also think about when my bike undergoes its safety review:
“We have a predefined checklist, and we'll go over every item to make sure everything is according to the standards.”
Nope. Doesn’t work.
I still don’t love this word, but it’s way better than demo. At least it has a chance of actually stating what we’re trying to do.
What other words could we use?
There’s no perfect word to use. But take the Scrum framework for example: the name Sprint Retrospective makes perfect sense to me. The name Sprint Review doesn’t. Are we reviewing the Sprint? What kind of review are we doing? The good one or the bad one?
This conversation takes me back to when I was planning my wedding and we had to try all the fancy snacks, sweets and the cake. We would try them, and provide feedback. The buffet would be adapted according to our feedback. That experience is much more inline with what software development teams are actually trying (or should be) to do in a Sprint Review.
So, if I were to rename the Sprint Review I would call something on the lines of Increment Try-Out or Product Try-Out.
It focuses on what we produced rather than on the Sprint. And a try-out is about empiricism, it makes the need of the customer active participation more explicit.
Is it perfect? Well… no. But:
Every word is a prejudice - Nietzsche
Ps: If you like this subject you’ll probably like to spend half an hour listening to this episode of Philosophize This! - Episode 178: Susan Sontag on Metaphors. :)