Dogfooding, a practice originating in the 1980s, involves companies using their own products to better understand and improve them, complementing traditional testing methods like QA and beta testing. Microsoft, which coined the term "eating our own dogfood," exemplifies this approach with its comprehensive Elite program that incentivizes employees to test and provide feedback on products, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Google employs dogfooding across its product range, adapting it as necessary for different markets, while Facebook has utilized the practice to enhance product quality, employee engagement, and retention. Lyft's dogfooding strategy emphasizes empathy and understanding of user experiences, requiring employees, including executives, to act as drivers to gain firsthand insights into the app's functionality and user needs. Overall, dogfooding helps companies gain valuable insights into user experiences but is most effective when used in conjunction with beta testing to address the diverse needs of the target market.