MongoDB 8.0 was tested internally on production systems before its release to ensure real-world testing and identify issues early. This approach, known as "dogfooding," allowed the company to catch problems such as a rare server crash and an inefficiency with query shapes introduced by new features. Issues were fixed proactively before they reached customers, improving the reliability and performance of the database. The company also employed formal methods like TLA+ to model their system and prove its design is correct. Dogfooding gave engineers firsthand understanding of customer pain points and needs, informing more customer-centric solutions. By using MongoDB internally on mission-critical systems, the company gained confidence that the release could handle demanding workloads, just as it did for their own engineering teams. The practice also enhanced product quality, early identification of issues, and build customer empathy. The company's dogfooding culture enabled them to catch edge cases and resolve issues before they reached customers, demonstrating the reliability of MongoDB 8.0.