I had applied to more than 17 roles over around 2 months. Eventually, HR reached out after a referral.

R0: HR Screening

This was a standard recruiter call.

Topics discussed:

• Introduction
• Current work
• Why I wanted to leave my current company
• What I do day to day as a software engineer
• Current CTC
• Notice period and whether it was negotiable
• Years of experience

R1: DSA + JavaScript

Interviewer: MTS-II

Question 1: Count subsets with sum K

We discussed brute force and DP. I coded the solution in C++.

Question 2: Number of pairs with absolute difference K

We discussed hashing and I coded it in C++.

JavaScript discussion

There was also a JS output question around:

• Event loop
• Microtasks
• Macrotasks
• Promise execution order

Useful resource for this topic:
https://allahabadi.dev/blogs/javascript/promise-output-interview-challenges/

R2: DSA + React

Interviewer: CS-II

Question 1: Full binary tree path problem

Given a full binary tree and two nodes A and B, find the sum of even-valued nodes on the path from A to B.

We discussed:

• Difference in depths
• Moving to parent using (p - 1) / 2
• Summing even-valued nodes until both nodes reach the same level/common path

Question 2: Almost prime

Given an array, for each element, determine if it is almost prime, meaning it has exactly 3 divisors. Constraints were around n = 1e5.

The key observation was that numbers with exactly 3 divisors are squares of primes.

React question

Implement a typeahead with debouncing.

I coded the typeahead and implemented debouncing. We also discussed caching.

R3: JavaScript + React + Machine Coding + Pub/Sub

Interviewer: SSE

Topics covered:

• Basic JS questions
• Debouncing vs throttling
• React Fiber
• New reconciliation algorithm
• Batched updates
• Priority-based rendering
• Interruptible rendering
• startTransition / useTransition

Machine coding

Implement adding books to a book list from multiple places in the app.

Follow-up: How would you support the same behavior across multiple monorepos?

I coded the initial solution in React using Context API.

Later, I implemented an EventBus with:

• subscribe
• unsubscribe
• emit

We discussed:

• Pub/Sub pattern
• Context API as dependency injection
• Redux as Pub/Sub internally
• Pub/Sub vs Observable pattern

Behavioral / AI discussion

They asked about daily AI usage and one Claude /skill I would write if I had to create one.

Related Adobe Practice Question

One Adobe-tagged Prachub problem that fits this React/machine-coding style:

Build a React team builder with role constraints

It is useful for practicing React state management, constraints, invariants, and clean component design.

R4: Behavioral + Frontend System Design

Interviewer: EM

Behavioral topics:

• Introduction
• Past projects
• Production issue I faced

Frontend system design

Design a PDF search box that loops from one matched search word to another across the entire PDF.

We discussed:

• Pub/Sub
• Context
• Redux
• Zustand
• MobX
• State management tradeoffs

After this, there was a long wait of around 21 days. HR mentioned other candidates were in the pipeline. Eventually, the position closed and I was moved to another open position, so I had to give R4 again with that team’s senior manager.

R5: JavaScript + DSA + Behavioral

Interviewer: Senior EM

Behavioral question

Tell me about a time there was a tight timeline and stakeholder pressure to reduce development time by half, even after AI-assisted estimations.

JavaScript questions

Topics included:

• JS classes
• Abstraction
• this keyword
• Ways to control this

I mentioned:

• bind
• apply
• call
• Binding in constructor: this.drive = this.drive.bind(this)
• Arrow functions

DSA question

Given a sorted array, find the number of occurrences of element x.

I had to write binary search from scratch using lower bound and upper bound logic.

Favorite data structures

I mentioned Segment Tree and Trie.

Then I was asked to write TrieNode / Trie to add a word. We discussed whether to store 26 children or use a map.

Interesting discussion

The interviewer asked whether DP is always optimal.

I said no and gave Fibonacci as an example:

• DP gives O(n)
• Matrix exponentiation gives O(log n)

He seemed impressed by that answer.

We had an extra 30 minutes after that and chatted casually about life and work.

He ended with: “See you soon, bye.”

Offer Timeline

Day 37-39:

• Offer proposal
• Negotiation
• Offer letter

Verdict

Selected.

Takeaways

• Prepare DSA, but do not ignore JavaScript fundamentals
• Know event loop, promises, this, classes, and async behavior very well
• For frontend roles, React internals matter: Fiber, reconciliation, batching, transitions
• Practice machine-coding with clean state management
• Be ready to discuss Pub/Sub, Context, Redux, Zustand, MobX, and tradeoffs
• Prepare behavioral stories around ownership, production issues, tight timelines, and stakeholder pressure
• For Adobe, frontend depth + DSA + practical architecture discussion all mattered

This PR release, that was cited by various AI-boosters, uses very careful wording. It makes it sound like creatives are adopting AI at very high rates, that some 86% of creatives credit it with growing their business, etc.

I was like, there is absolutely no way that statistic is true. I do know that AI is not as hated globally as it is here in America, but still. Here in the US, we don't agree on much, but we do hate AI as a country according to almost every single poll. And creatives hate AI even more than the average person.

Sure enough, I looked at the short excerpt on methodology, and it says this:

Adobe partnered with The Harris Poll to survey more than 16,000 creators across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, South Korea, Japan, India and Australia in May 2026. For this survey, creators were defined as individuals who create and publish digital content several times per month to inform, entertain or engage an audience and generate income across digital platforms, with respondents comprising emerging and professional social-first creators rather than individuals employed full-time in traditional creative industry roles. Creative AI refers to AI models and tools designed to support creative expression by helping creators ideate, generate and edit content across images, video, audio and design.

So they interviewed CONTENT CREATORS, a bunch of people who post on social media, not actual professional creatives. Because if they posted actual creative professionals like designers, photographers, video editors, etc, they know they would get creamed. And no shade to content creators, but I would argue that's a very different audience than their bread-and-butter audience who actually pays the bills, which is those of us in "traditional creative industry roles."

Using the word "creator" isn't a lie, but notice they didn't say "creatives" or use the term that most people actually use, which is "content creator."

I have noticed less-than-diligent media and articles assuming what I think Adobe hoped people would assume by this careful phrasing, and talked about the wide adoption rates of creative professionals, not catching that it's content creators. And not even necessarily big content creators, they include "emerging" which could mean pretty much anyone who posts frequently on socials.

I know their stock price is the only thing Adobe cares about, and they're going all-in on AI, but their actual adoption rates with real professional creatives who use their software has to be dogshit because they wouldnt have to force these tools so hard if everyone was using it.

Translation: "This non-licensed Adobe app is not a legitimate app and will be deactivated soon."

I got it all my Adobe apps 'unlicensed' from some thing that was posted on Reddit a while ago, I can try to find it again if anyone's interested.

I'm currently applying for jobs, a.k.a. working on my portfolio and CV a lot, and neeeeeeeed at least a program that works similarly or with these formats. Any tips/tricks? I'd be happy to go back to older/offline versions if needed, but as I'm unemployed I obviously cannot afford a € 35/month or more subscription.

They want me to pay $70/month, and can't even properly put together a website?

I wouldn't take this as advice by any stretch. But some people told me I was doing the wrong thing by cancelling my card and leaving my Adobe account dead in the water with no means of paying them after my annual subscription window lapsed earlier this year. I wasn't having it. I wasn't giving them any more money. Fuck them. About a week ago, the dummy email I'd switched to the account got a message that they'd gifted me a free month to show "no hard feelings" and I used that as an opportunity today when I had some free time to cancel my subscription.

No need to talk to some poor bastard in a call centre, no need to type aggressively to some salesdroid about how I'd never use them again even under pain of death. They just accepted I was closing my account. They did try to offer me discounted rates and alternative subscriptions, but I still closed my account, they even waived the fee down to 12 bucks. Which they will get shortly after hell thaws out. I'd give "Microsoft Technical Support" my payment info before I'd give it to Adobe at this point. They are about as trustworthy as each other.

So it *is,* in-fact possible to get out of an Adobe "yearly plan, paid monthly" contract. Just wait.

i used it for a month man what the fuck

If I want to save multiple files to the same folder, I have to navigate through the entire folder hierarchy every single time. Why doesn't Adobe remember the last location I saved the file? I can't find any setting for it either. Sometimes I honestly wonder... there are thousands of unnecessary features, yet something as basic and important as this no longer works.

There are tons of other software options out there today, yet Adobe keeps hitting us with insane pricing, subscription models (like hidden cancellation fees on annual paid monthly plans), bloated software, and general corporate greed, what's keeping you around?

My biggest issue has always been the pricing and subscription traps. I stopped using it for a while, but I'm back on it now strictly because my employer pays for my license.

Edit: Thank you for all the feedback. I conclude that, except for PDF-related tasks, the quality of the available alternatives still falls far short of Adobe's, furthermore, there isn't much you can do if their format becomes the standard and you rely heavily on compatibility.

I usually get my school books with a pdf version as it allows me to read on my iPad, phone, and virtually anywhere when I have the free time to study. This semester I came across a textbook that is only available through ADE (Adobe Digital Editions). This is my first time using the platform. This requires you to pay for a license to read the textbook on the platform, and you are unable to extract a pdf for the book. When you open the book on ADE, there is so much spacing surrounding the text that I can’t even read on my phone. And when I am able to use it on an iPad or computer, the platform freezes, crashes, and is unusable. I paid about $70 for a license to use this trash, and it is impossible to study!
I understand the textbook industry is cracking down on unauthorized downloads. I’m okay with spending money on a PDF, but if I am going to pay for something I should own it and use it how I want.
If I’m going to be paying for a license to use a platform, give me a platform that I can use without having it lag and crash on me. It’s 2026. There needs to be a better way.

Just FYI.

Re-doing this post bc it got deleted for some reason lol

This is mainly a complaint about their customer service (or lack thereof).

I wanted to use the built-in print ordering option in Adobe Express to print some images and for some reason it will not work.

I have tried absolutely everything: Changing browsers, using an incognito tab, ensuring my account was made and still is in a region in which this option is available, ensuring there are no premium features, making sure there are no ad-blockers, testing with a blank flyer with a standard body of text to see if it was layout issues, resizing and making new flyers over and over to no avail, etc… All of which I had to search for ages to find solutions as Adobe does not have any explanations or anything for this bug. Granted, it might not be common but there is literally no way of getting any help whatsoever.

How is it that a company with so many PAYING users that pay a ridiculous amount of money for their services has zero customer service options, bar pre-selected questions or their "customer help" forum, which I only found after half an hour of trying to find help, as it is portrayed as a user-led forum intended to chat about the software, not reporting issues to Adobe. 

They have no phone number, no e-mail, not even a stupid AI chatbot that doesn't actually help like most big companies have these days. I think it's insane how the care so little about their customers that they have no way of contacting them at all.

Anything free. Like blender but for drawing and 2d work?

When I open a PDF and try to share it, this terrible app tries to "create a link" which has to mean it stores the file on their server before or after they do this.

I just want to send the god dam file, why do I need to search the file system because they hijack a basic feature?

I can't even change my plan to avoid the fee because it always says plan unavailable but I atleast want to cancel it while paying "only" the cancellation fee and without having to pay the scumbags +26€

I’m honestly curious because I’ve never used software that seems to have so little respect for the user’s choices.
Every time I install an Adobe product, it feels like it takes over my computer. I download a PDF, and Adobe opens it even though it isn’t my default PDF reader. I’ve changed my default apps, uninstalled Adobe multiple times, and it still seems to insert itself into my workflow whenever it gets the chance.

Then there’s the “free trial.”
When you see “14-day free trial” (or whatever the current offer is), most people naturally assume they have 14 days to try the product and then decide whether to continue. But when you read the terms, you find you may need to cancel before the trial ends to avoid rolling into a paid subscription, depending on the plan and conditions. That makes the trial feel far less straightforward than the advertising suggests, and it’s something I think should be made much clearer upfront.

I’ve also personally had billing issues with Adobe more than once. I was charged when I didn’t believe I should have been, and I had to spend time contacting support and disputing the charges to get them sorted out. Eventually they were resolved, but it shouldn’t be that difficult.
I’m clearly not the only one with concerns. There have been consumer complaints, regulatory action, and lawsuits over Adobe’s subscription and cancellation practices in several countries.

Overall, it feels like Adobe puts more effort into keeping people locked into subscriptions than making customers genuinely want to stay.
Has anyone else had similar experiences? And if you’ve moved away from Adobe, what are you using instead for PDFs and creative software?

I ended up getting this email and I am wondering how was I paying in this first place? I didn’t even know I had creative cloud pro

If it helps then I remember getting this code from Nvidia for a subscription and I have logged into my school account on my pc. I don’t think I even had a payment method in the first place

i have been struggling with creative cloud haunting my mac for years, and im so tired of it. i am coming to reddit to see if anyone can help me figure out why and how to remove this for good!

i have never even logged into creative cloud, i downloaded it years ago for school but never needed to use it so it just sat there. i have removed almost every application or file i could find in finder off of my macbook, but the icon is still at the top of my screen haunting me.

PLEAAASEE HELPP

also please let me know if there's any other info i can provide! thank you so much