How to Successfully Implement Dogfooding in Your Development Process

Introduction

Dogfooding—using your own product as a customer does—is a proven way to build better software. When your team eats their own dog food, you catch issues early, improve user experience, and foster genuine empathy for your users. JetBrains, creator of IntelliJ IDEA and YouTrack, has made dogfooding a core practice. Their engineers, designers, and writers rely on their own tools daily, turning real-world feedback into rapid improvements. This guide walks you through the steps to adopt dogfooding in your organization, based on lessons from JetBrains’ success.

What You Need

• A working product – even an early alpha version can work.
• Commitment from leadership – executives must use the product too.
• Team buy-in – encourage voluntary adoption, not forced compliance.
• A feedback channel – e.g., a dedicated Slack channel, issue tracker, or regular stand-ups.
• Time to fix issues – allocate development time for dogfooding-driven improvements.
• Real-world tasks – use your product for actual, not just demo, work.

Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

Step 1: Get Leadership to Eat First

Dogfooding starts at the top. JetBrains CEO Kirill Skyrgan emphasizes that “you can only build truly great software if you use it yourself.” When executives use the product in their daily work, it signals trust and sets a powerful example. Ask your CEO, CTO, and product managers to switch to your own tools for their regular tasks—like project management, code reviews, or document editing. They will experience the same friction points as customers, and their visible commitment encourages the rest of the team to follow.

Step 2: Integrate Dogfooding into Daily Workflows

Make your product the default choice for everyday activities. At JetBrains, engineers write code in IntelliJ IDEA, track issues in YouTrack, and use Rider for .NET development—all their own tools. They don’t rely on hypothetical personas; they use the tool for real work. To replicate this, identify two or three core workflows your product supports (e.g., code editing, bug tracking, CI/CD) and require your team to use them for internal projects. Avoid forcing anyone—encourage voluntary adoption by showing how the tool improves productivity. When people naturally choose your product, you receive authentic feedback.

Step 3: Create a Rapid Feedback Loop

Dogfooding’s greatest benefit is immediate, unfiltered feedback. JetBrains developers spot issues as they code—no waiting weeks for customer reports. Set up a system where team members can report dogfooding issues instantly: a shared bug tracker (use your own!), a dedicated chat channel, or a daily stand-up segment. Aim to fix critical bugs within hours or days. This tight loop turns every employee into a quality advocate and shortens the distance between problem and solution. As Kirill noted, “those thousands of tiny corrections made over time are what turn a good product into a great one.”

Step 4: Embrace Early Instability with Persistence

When Rider, JetBrains’ .NET IDE, was still unstable in 2016, developers used it anyway—even when the editor crashed mid-typing. Instead of giving up, they fixed issues on the spot. If your product is rough around the edges, that’s okay. Dogfooding during early stages accelerates maturation. Expect frustration, but treat every crash as an urgent learning opportunity. Allocate a dedicated “dogfooding sprint” or a portion of each sprint to address internal complaints. The persistence your team shows will transform a fragile beta into a robust release.

Step 5: Use Dogfooding to Build Empathy and Ownership

By using your own product, you experience the same “why is this like that?” moments as users. JetBrains’ team feels slowdowns, friction points, and confusing workflows—and they care enough to fix them. This empathy fuels intrinsic motivation, not KPIs. Encourage your team to not only report bugs but also suggest improvements based on their daily pain. Make a habit of asking: “What would make this tool better for me right now?” The answers often align with what your customers need most.

Step 6: Make Dogfooding a Culture, Not a Policy

JetBrains doesn’t enforce dogfooding; it’s based on trust. Nobody is forced—they use the tools because they help them do their jobs better. To build a dogfooding culture, avoid mandatory adoption. Instead, celebrate successes: highlight fixes that originated from internal feedback, share stories of productivity gains, and let enthusiasts lead by example. When dogfooding becomes a source of pride rather than obligation, you unlock continuous, organic improvement.

Step 7: Continuously Iterate Based on Firsthand Experience

Dogfooding is not a one-off event. JetBrains treats it as an ongoing process: features and decisions are shaped by firsthand experience. Schedule regular reviews of dogfooding feedback—monthly or quarterly—to identify patterns. Prioritize fixes that affect both internal teams and external users. Track metrics like time-to-fix for internal reports and compare with customer satisfaction scores. The loop never closes; as your product evolves, your team’s usage should evolve too.

Tips for Success

• Start small: Pick one team or one feature to dogfood first.
• Don’t wait for a perfect product: Early versions provide the most valuable feedback.
• Make it easy to report: Use your own product’s issue tracker for internal reports.
• Reward internal bug hunters: Recognize team members who find critical issues.
• Keep it voluntary: Avoid resentment by letting teams opt in gradually.
• Share success stories: Publicize how dogfooding improved your product.

By following these steps, you can build a dogfooding culture that turns every employee into a quality advocate, just like JetBrains. Your users will thank you for it.