Eat your own dog food
Meaning
To use the products, services, or systems that one provides to others, demonstrating belief in their quality and functionality.
Origin
The phrase 'eating your own dog food' has its roots firmly planted in mid-20th century American business culture, specifically within the burgeoning tech and advertising industries. It's often attributed to the early days of Microsoft, where engineers and employees were encouraged to rigorously use pre-release versions of their own software to find bugs and improve quality. This internal testing, sometimes called 'dogfooding,' became a critical part of the development process. The vivid, slightly self-deprecating image of eating dog food perfectly captured the idea: if you expect others to consume your product, you should be willing to consume it yourself, ensuring its quality and fitness for purpose. It’s a powerful metaphor for integrity and confidence in one's own creation, signaling a deep, personal commitment to the product's success.
Examples
- Before we release the new accounting software, the entire finance department needs to eat their own dog food for a month to find any bugs.
- The CEO truly believes in remote work; she insists that her leadership team eat their own dog food by regularly working from home.