diff --git a/examples/demo/run-demo.sh b/examples/demo/run-demo.sh
index e589f13..013bf80 100755
--- a/examples/demo/run-demo.sh
+++ b/examples/demo/run-demo.sh
@@ -107,26 +107,41 @@ apply_demo() {
   kubectl apply -n "$NAMESPACE" -k "$SCRIPT_DIR" >/dev/null
 }
 
-wait_for_ready() {
-  local objects=(
-    "terdutserver/terdut-operator-demo"
-    "terdutteam/terdutteam-platform"
-    "terdutteam/terdutteam-payments"
-    "terdutescalationrule/terdutescalationrule-platform"
-    "terdutescalationrule/terdutescalationrule-payments"
-    "terdutdeadmanswitch/terdutdeadmanswitch-platform"
-    "terdutdeadmanswitch/terdutdeadmanswitch-payments"
-    "terdutalertsource/terdutalertsource-platform"
-    "terdutalertsource/terdutalertsource-payments"
-  )
+wait_for_objects() {
   local obj
-  for obj in "${objects[@]}"; do
+  for obj in "$@"; do
     log "waiting for $obj to become Ready"
     kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready --timeout "$WAIT_TIMEOUT" -n "$NAMESPACE" "$obj" >/dev/null \
       || die "timed out waiting for $obj -- try: kubectl describe -n $NAMESPACE $obj"
   done
 }
 
+# Just the server and the two teams -- everything redeem_platform_invite and
+# join_payments_team need. Deliberately NOT the escalation rules here: this
+# demo kit's own terdutescalationrule-platform names alice as a level-1
+# target, and that CR cannot reach Ready until alice actually exists
+# (terdut-server resolves every named username at reconcile time, not just
+# at escalation time) -- a real dependency this script has to satisfy by
+# creating her first, not something kubectl wait can be told to ignore.
+wait_for_teams_ready() {
+  wait_for_objects \
+    "terdutserver/terdut-operator-demo" \
+    "terdutteam/terdutteam-platform" \
+    "terdutteam/terdutteam-payments"
+}
+
+# Everything that was waiting on alice (or just on the teams above, now
+# already satisfied) to exist.
+wait_for_remaining_ready() {
+  wait_for_objects \
+    "terdutescalationrule/terdutescalationrule-platform" \
+    "terdutescalationrule/terdutescalationrule-payments" \
+    "terdutdeadmanswitch/terdutdeadmanswitch-platform" \
+    "terdutdeadmanswitch/terdutdeadmanswitch-payments" \
+    "terdutalertsource/terdutalertsource-platform" \
+    "terdutalertsource/terdutalertsource-payments"
+}
+
 start_port_forward() {
   # A stale pidfile from an earlier run would otherwise collide with us on
   # $LOCAL_PORT -- if that pid is still alive, stop it first.
@@ -319,10 +334,11 @@ main() {
   ensure_kind_cluster
   install_operator
   apply_demo
-  wait_for_ready
+  wait_for_teams_ready
   start_port_forward
   redeem_platform_invite
   join_payments_team
+  wait_for_remaining_ready
   fire_demo_alerts
   print_summary