# Dogfooding vs. QA vs. User Research

DevFeed: [Dogfooding vs. QA vs. User Research](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/dogfooding-vs-qa-vs-user-research-9034.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.nngroup.com/articles/dogfooding/>)

Author: Therese Fessenden

Published: 2026-08-07T17:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [NN/g latest articles and announcements](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/nn-g-latest-articles-and-announcements.md>)

Topics: [dogfooding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dogfooding.md>), [FIRST](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/first.md>)

Tags: [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [bugs](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bugs.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [dogfooding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dogfooding.md>), [qa](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/qa.md>), [qc](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/qc.md>), [quality-assurance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/quality-assurance.md>), [quality-control](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/quality-control.md>), [user-research](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/user-research.md>), [user-testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/user-testing.md>)

## AI overview

Dogfooding--using a company's own products internally--can reveal bugs, broken flows, crashes, and missing features while building empathy and shared ownership. The article explains that it complements but cannot replace user research, because insiders understand the product too well to represent real users. It also distinguishes genuine dogfooding from performative displays of loyalty.

## Source excerpt

Dogfooding, or using your own products internally, helps catch bugs, but it can't replace user research: your team knows too much to represent real users.