Reflections on the Era of Shantanu Narayen

Silicon Valley loves a disruption story — new startup, new AI model, new claim that the incumbents are about to get run over.

And yet, for nearly two decades, one of the most consequential leaders in enterprise software has been doing the opposite: building the platform that everyone else would eventually have to plug into.

This week, Shantanu Narayen announced he will step down as CEO of Adobe after 18 years in the role, transitioning once a successor is named while remaining chairman of the board. (Adobe Newsroom)