An Interview with John Warnock

Cobb :   What does it feel like to know that you've succeeded?
Warnock :   It feels great. But it's not something we predicted. It was the coming together of events that pretty much weren't in our control. We were at the right place at the right time with a set of products.
Cobb :   How does Adobe and how do you go about encouraging women in technology?
Warnock :   I wish there were more women in technology. You're measured in some sense by the state and by government agencies on how well you do with racial minorities, how well you do with women in terms of management responsibility. I wish our school systems andI wish our society were better at preparing both women and minorities for the kinds of jobs that we would like to give them.

Right now, it's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem. I would love to have more women in management. It's been tough getting to that point. Not only finding people who are willing to step up to management, but also people who are qualified and have the background and education to do it. We've had a number of women in senior management positions, and two of them burned out.

A specific education is a starting point. But it goes away after a couple of years and your work experience takes over.

The stress levels associated with it were difficult. I don't know whether it was our environment or what happened. But I would encourage minorities and women to get the education, experience, and background. We'd like to give people opportunities to grow.

Wolfson :   If you could change anything about your life, what would you change? Life, job, personal, work?
Warnock :   I'm a pretty happy camper. Look a little more like Paul Newman, maybe. Haha.
It's what you do with your life, how well you work with other people, and how well you communicate that drives success.
Wolfson :   What would you tell students who want to know: How do I get a job at Adobe or another high-tech company? What do I have to do to prepare myself? Should I take all science courses? Should I go to The Tech Museum and live there?
Warnock :   I would advise getting a good, strong, basic education. I would tell young people to learn how to write. English is important.

Learning how to communicate your ideas on paper is very important. Get a good, strong foundation in the liberal arts, philosophy, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry , history. Get a good, well-rounded education.

Historically, we are going to look back at this period as a phenomenal change in the way that society works.

It doesn't matter what your degree is unless you're trying to get a job as a programmer. Even then, a degree isn't as important as your basic adaptability and your basic ability to learn. A specific education is a starting point. But it goes away after a couple of years and your work experience takes over. It's what you do with your life, how well you work with other people, and how well you communicate that drives success.

I think now is probably the most exciting time to be alive.
Wolfson :   What do you look for when you hire a new person?
Warnock :   Smart people. We look first at their gray matter. We look at their ability to learn, how fast they are, how quick they are. And their experience. What have they done with their life? What concrete accomplishments have they made? Are they a finisher? When they start a project, can they finish the project, or do they start 20 projects and then have them all open-ended?
Wolfson :   I'll ask the last question: Tell us what product or what technology you're really excited about.
Warnock :   The products associated with the internet are where I spend a lot of my time right now. It is a revolution that is bigger than the invention of printing. It is a revolution that's bigger than the invention of the telephone, radio, or any of the major revolutions that we've had in the past.

Historically, we are going to look back at this period as a phenomenal change in the way that society works. I think now is probably the most exciting time to be alive if you could choose a time in history to be alive.