Dogfooding: How Putting Yourself in the User’s Shoes Changes the Way You See Your Product

Dogfooding: How Putting Yourself in the User’s Shoes Changes the Way You See Your Product

In the world of product development, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating something new and innovative. We become so invested in our ideas and solutions that we sometimes forget to consider the perspective of the end user. This is where the concept of "dogfooding" comes in - the practice of using your own product as a way to gain a deeper understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

When a team at Ancestry was faced with the task of using their own tool for work communication, they quickly realized the pain points and limitations of their product. By experiencing it firsthand, they gained valuable insights that they may have otherwise missed. This is the power of dogfooding - it allows us to see our product through the eyes of our users, in a practical, everyday sense.

One common pitfall that many product developers face is forgetting what it's like to be a new user. We become so immersed in our own experiences and knowledge that we overlook issues that may be obvious to an outsider. To combat this, it's important to regularly sign up for your own service using a brand new account. This not only keeps you updated on the user experience, but also serves as a reminder that there is always room for improvement and learning.

Customer empathy is another crucial aspect of dogfooding. It means putting yourself in the shoes of your users and experiencing the product from their point of view. This requires looking outside of yourself and seeing through their eyes, without the luxury of debugging tools or direct access to engineers. By doing so, we can better understand the challenges and pitfalls that our users may encounter, and address them accordingly.

It's also essential to develop a global mindset when dogfooding. Sometimes, we tend to think that the whole world is just like us, with the same resources and technology at their disposal. However, the reality is quite different. Our perspectives are often limited by our own circumstances - the places we live, the technology we use, and the issues we face in our daily lives. Dogfooding allows us to step outside of our own bubble and see how our products affect people who are different from us.

In conclusion, dogfooding is a powerful tool that can significantly impact the way we see and improve our products. By immersing ourselves in the user experience, we gain valuable insights and identify blind spots that may have otherwise been overlooked. To make the most out of dogfooding, it's important to regularly sign up for your own service as a new user, develop customer empathy, and maintain a global mindset. By doing so, we can create products that are not only innovative but also truly user-centric.