Dogfooding
Using your own product internally to experience it as a real user would.
Plain English
Use what you build so you notice its problems.
In context
Dogfooding gives teams direct feedback on usability and reliability before or alongside wider release.
Example
“The team will dogfood the new dashboard for two weeks.”
When you'll hear this
- beta testing
- product launch
- quality review
Common misunderstanding
Dogfooding supplements rather than replaces external user research.
Also known as
dogfoodeat your own dog food
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
