For Developers, Dog Food And Champagne Can't Be The Only Items On The Menu

Internal pilots are a necessary part of nearly every development effort. Therefore, "eating your own dog food" and "drinking your own champagne" are phrases familiar to even software development "newbies." However, internal pilots are not perfect instruments for catching every issue. The more that the issue rests on customer characteristics that technologists do not share, the harder it is to catch them in a pilot. As elusive as these issues can be, it is possible to craft a new strategy for internal pilots that increases the odds of identifying and addressing them. The right strategy for a team depends on several factors, including the organization's approach to innovation.