Google has an interesting way of testing their products. Google employees have been known to eat their own dog food. No, the chefs at Google didn’t change the menu. I mean it technically.

When developing a product, it is beneficial to use it yourself. If you don’t use it everyday, all the time, why would someone else that isn’t so invested in your product use it equally or more than you do? If you don’t believe in how it solves the problem it was created for, it’s unlikely others will.

Using your own product gives the best feedback of all. You become an expert in what works and doesn’t, immediately. What was thought to be a good idea at first becomes clear that change is needed. A product doesn’t get shipped to customers and then determined to be wrong.

For example, let’s say a new way a phone call is started was thought to be so ingenious and innovative but turned out to be a lot more taxing on the brain, costing more time and concentration for what turns out to be a little gain visually (it looks good, but fails functionally). It is relatively easy to change it after the development team “sees” the problem versus when it’s out in the wild and becomes more difficult to revert.

Eating your own dog food can be time consuming if you just can’t get it right. Instead of thinking about it negatively, realize what isn’t working and don’t repeat the same mistake. It’s just like being a kid. Learning that you don’t like brussel sprouts means you won’t try them a second time (unless your parents are cruel in force feeding you). Knowing what tastes good (works well) can save time and angst.

Disclaimer: I have never tried dog food nor do I advocate for anyone to actually try dog food either.