Transformed

PART IXTransformation Story: Adobe

By Lea Hickman

Marty's Note: What follows is one of the most impressive transformations I've ever seen. Adobe was always a solid company and it created several successful products, but it wasn't operating in the product model, and it knew it needed to change in order to survive the challenges headed its way. In this case, the company's innovation story is what drove its transformation story. The driver for the transformation was the need to create the new Creative Cloud offering. The story is told by Lea Hickman, who was appointed head of product management for the new Adobe Creative Cloud. Lea teamed up with CTO Kevin Lynch, among others, and with the help and support of some very strong senior executives, they were able to pull off what is considered the industry's most financially successful transformation to date.

Many people think of Adobe as a post–internet era company but, in fact, the company was founded in 1982 and has played a key role through many generations of technology, starting with printers and personal computers. Today, the company spans many different businesses, mainly focused on providing designers with the tools and technology they need to build our digital world.

The Motivation

In some companies, there are early indicators that point to the need to change the way the company produces its products.

Sometimes, it is a new disruptive technology, or a major shift in market dynamics. Much of the time, the organizations ...