What is dogfooding? Who does it, when, how, and why?

Dogfooding is a common term used within US tech company product development teams.

Nope, it’s not about sharing lunch with your furry friend, but it is a vital ingredient for successful product development! We explore the term, use cases, benefits, and more in this today’s Fuel Your Curiosity, free user research newsletter.

Learn about dogfooding, from identifying bugs, to enhancing UX, and more. Explore real-world examples and how well-known teams use their own products to create remarkable solutions.

But dogfooding isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The article also talks about its challenges, just like taking the first bite of a dog biscuit.

NOTE: Dogfooding is not a replacement for user research; it's a complementary dish. Early dogfooding is often gross and painful, but it is essential for most successful product development, ensuring that our offerings genuinely satisfy the appetites of our users.

The term is believed to have been popularized at Microsoft in the early 1980s where Microsoft employees were said to "eat their own dog food" by using the company's software during the raw, clunky, buggy, testing and development phases.

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Do non-English speaking teams have an equivalent term for “dogfooding”? If so, I’d love to hear it ;)

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