Episode Details

The panel looks at Adobe's past dominance, current challenges, and uncertain future as AI tools and lower-cost alternatives reshape the creative landscape. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet cover how generative AI, subscription fatigue, collaboration gaps, and competitors like Affinity, Canva, and Figma are changing who really needs Adobe services such as Creative Cloud, while reflecting on historical tech shifts and whether Adobe's next chapter has already been written. A documentary recommendation wraps up this session.

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Chapters:

00:00 Adobe's past, present, and AI disruption 01:12 How AI fits into professional creative workflows 03:09 Adobe's difficulty pivoting in a fast-moving market 04:29 Desktop publishing history: PageMaker, Quark, and InDesign 07:09 Public perception of AI "replacing" Adobe tools 09:26 Photoshop Elements and missed marketing opportunities 12:41 Subscription fatigue and rising alternatives 14:04 Collaboration challenges and Canva/Affinity momentum 17:45 Shift from print-centric tools to digital workflows 22:13 Designers leaving Creative Cloud behind 25:12 Adobe's legacy status and future positioning 31:31 The Thinking Game documentary recommendation

Links: Adobe's stock has slumped more than 45% since the end of 2023, reflecting analyst concerns over the threat of AI-driven disruption to SaaS companies https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-13/adobe-analysts-turn-most-bearish-since-2013-as-ai-threat-looms

The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95J8yzvjbQ

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on

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