...But also, Adobe invests a LOT more in developing proprietary, highly customized and specialized, highly sophisticated software in-house and from scratch. The Grindr app seems much
closer to the "built with generic open source lego blocks" side of the spectrum, no? Maybe it is not so clear-cut and drastic, as they probably also have a lot of custom tech - e.g. matchmaking / trust&safety algos? - and Adobe IS using lots of OSS building blocks as well, I expect. But still, I do think there's a difference.
But going back to the first part - I appreciate your implicit point, but most any company is best served by thinking about itself first and foremost as an [its function] company. So yes, Adobe IS an artist tool company more so than / before it is a "tech company".
If the companies that dominated the artist tool market before computers had had the good sense to think of themselves in this flexible, adaptable, big-picture way (instead of as paint-chemtech companies or whatevs) there's every chance one or more of them would have the $$$ that has instead gone to Adobe. They already had the customer & vendor relationships, the brand awareness, etc - i.e., the hard parts.
If you are a poker player, it's likely that it currently makes sense for you to play NLHE almost exclusively. That doesn't mean that it's correct or in your best interest for you to think of yourself as a NLHE player rather than a poker player.
> If the companies that dominated the artist tool market before computers had had the good sense to think of themselves in this flexible, adaptable, big-picture way (instead of as paint-chemtech companies or whatevs)
Essentially, the Polaroid company. Their biggest income was film, so they saw themselves as a film company. When digital photography came along, they did some research in the area, but largely decided, "We're a film company, why would we sell this thing for lower profit margins?"
I think I agree, depending on the value they place on the app and their willingness to turn the app into something completely different if the market requires it.
