Chapter 3 · Practice 3 of 4
Record a backup video of the full demo
Why it matters
Record the complete scripted demo as a video a few days before the evaluation, with the screen clearly visible and, if useful, a short voice-over. Keep it on the laptop offline, on a USB drive and in the cloud.
If something fails live and you cannot recover in a minute or so, say so plainly and switch: "The server is not responding; here is a recording of the same flow from Tuesday, and we can try the live system again at the end." Panels generally accept a backup video far more readily than ten minutes of debugging in front of them.
Make sure the video shows the same version you are submitting. A recording of a different, more polished version invites hard questions.
Do
- Store the backup video offline in at least two places
- Record the same version you are submitting
Avoid
- Debugging live for minutes while the panel waits