Highly Political; Still a Desktop Software company despite desire to break into the 'Enterprise' market. - Anonymous employee Adobe Employee Review

2.0
Jun 19, 2010
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Adobe has great technology and a widely recognized 'brand' - not just among corporate customers but with the general public as well. However, this is a bit of a double edged sword, as many equate Adobe with Photoshop, Creative Suite, etc and NOT as a provider of corporate, Enterprise solutions.

Cons

HIGHLY Political. Senior Management spends money like it is water, and then cuts hundreds (and hundreds) of positions to meet Street expectations. (Better fiduciary management would obviously either eliminate the need to cut heads or at least reduce the number affected). Bruce Chizen was a GREAT CEO and left the company a couple of years back - right at the beginning of Adobe's problems. (Hmmm..one could reasonably conclude that he knew things were going downhill and got out while the getting was good). Like Microsoft, Adobe wants to extend into "the Enterprise"market - but in my opinion lacks the ability to execute like a 'real' Enterprise Software company. This is because they have a legacy and heritage as a Desktop Software company, and this pervades every aspect of their culture and go-to-market approach. So, for those who work in the Desktop software business, Adobe is a decent place to be, and this probably is why they frequently make it into the Top 100 lists. BUT - once you get outside of the core, Desktop business, it's hit or miss as to whether your group or you personally will have a real chance to be successful. In my experience, Adobe also does not care one whit about their employees - you are a number, and a "head" that can be cut whenever a strong wind blows, or when management needs another .01 EPS per share to exceed what the Street wants.

Explore other reviews about Adobe

5.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Company does its best to take care of employees and avoid layoffs. Great office amenities and flexible work-life balance

Cons

Company is struggling with AI and needed changes. Management is scrambling to figure out the future, and many teams and employees are being bulldozed as a result

4.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Refreshing focus on employee wellness * Brilliant colleagues * Compelling problems on interesting tools * Good work/life balance culture... generally (see cons) I've been at a few big tech companies and Adobe is one of my favorites. I feel empowered to make impactful changes here, I'm constantly stretching myself in fun ways, and the products we make are incredible. Product and engineering have big dreams, and all the resources we need to realize them.

Cons

* Big time crunch culture around arbitrary goals By far my biggest disappointment has been just how hard product pushes on big projects with arbitrary deadlines and difficult scope. It turns into cutting corners and delivering sub-par experiences even though we absolutely have the talent and capability to make some exceptional things if we just let the dang thing bake a few more months. I'd be more impressed with the tight clip if the goals were reasonable for good business reasons, but as far as I can tell the reason usually boils down to "some high-level manager wanted X and thought Y sounded like a good target date". * Comp growth leaves something to be desired. Raises feel pretty flat, though it's not the worst thing since stock rewards can be pretty good as appropriate for performance. Career progression is pretty good here too - I just find it odd how stale the base pay increases are year to year.

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