The importance of dogfooding - Why product managers should use their product as much as their users

Dogfooding, the practice of a company using its own product, is essential for identifying small user experience issues that can lead to high churn if left unaddressed. While traditional product testing can uncover problems, it often lacks the real-world context that dogfooding provides, allowing for a deeper understanding of user challenges and better feature prioritization. Engaging all team members in regular dogfooding sessions and creative challenges enhances collective autonomy and empathy, leading to more effective product decisions. However, it's important to maintain objectivity and avoid perfectionism by focusing on problems likely to compound over time rather than every minor annoyance. Monitoring user retention can indicate when increased dogfooding might be necessary to uncover the reasons behind declining usage, with tools like PostHog offering support for these initiatives.

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