Adobe Product Sense: First Build to Lower the Beginner Barrier in Creative Apps

You are interviewing for a product manager role at Adobe. Adobe wants its creative tools to be more accessible to people who are just starting out. What would you build first to make that happen, and why would you start there rather than somewhere else? ```hint Find where beginners give up Sketch a beginner's path from first wanting to make something to finishing it, find the step where most of them stall or leave, and judge each candidate idea by whether it removes that specific barrier. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Which beginners matter most: hobbyists making things for fun, students, small-business owners producing marketing content, or aspiring professionals? - Which tools are in scope: the flagship professional apps, Adobe's lighter beginner-oriented app, or the whole portfolio? - Does "accessible" mean easier to learn, cheaper to start with, or usable by people with disabilities? - Is success more beginners finishing creative projects, or more of them becoming paying subscribers? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A specific beginner segment and why it matters to Adobe's business, including how it relates to the professional customer base - The barriers that segment hits, placed at concrete steps between intent and finished work - Alternatives compared on a clear criterion, ending in one first build with a defined scope - Metrics for activation, skill growth and conversion, with guardrails that protect professional users and costs - Competitive context and risks such as cannibalizing other Adobe products, AI shortcuts that skip learning, and cluttering the professional interface ### Follow-up Questions - How would you keep the beginner experience from slowing down or cluttering the app for professionals? - If generative AI can produce the finished image for a beginner, why should Adobe care whether they learn the tool at all? - Six months after launch, activation is up but paid conversion is flat. What do you investigate?