> I wonder how long Adobe is going to care about professional photographers for Lightroom. That sounds crazy, I know, but I would bet that the percentage of Lightroom users who are actual working pros is tiny and shrinking. At some point it will be more profitable for Adobe to abandon that tiny and demanding customer group to some other company and focus on prosumers with Lightroom CC.
This is theoretically possible, but I'd bet against it because of the brand halo effect of having Lightroom Classic be the main tool of professional photographers is too valuable. The second Adobe discontinues Lightroom Classic, the professional market will move to Capture One. That's a dangerous position for Adobe to be in. I wouldn't put it past Adobe to still make this mistake (e.g., see Figma), but I think if they did, it would be a mistake so large that it would shape the future of Adobe as a company. I.e., Adobe will be weaker forever if they do this.
> Apple did this with Final Cut. After years of being proud that Real Hollywood Films were edited with Final Cut, they gave up Hollywood and pivoted the product firmly toward prosumers. It has not hurt Apple at all, and probably saved them some money and heartache along the way.
I do not think Apple is happy about the way Final Cut Pro X turned out. The feedback to Final Cut Pro X was so bad that Steve Jobs personally called Randy Ubillos about it (source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfII0EcbCsg). That's the only time I've ever heard of Steve Jobs getting involved with one of Apple's pro apps.
Consider this: Look at the Mac Pro and in particular, the Pro Display XDR. Which industry were those products made to placate? Do you think Apple is happy that video studios that once would have been running their software on those machines are now running Avid/Premiere? Plus look at the corresponding roll out of Logic Pro X two years later, which was far less of re-imagining than Final Cut Pro X was. I think Apple has learned their lesson. "Success hides problems", from 2010-2020 made some colossally terrible decisions, that we only talk about less because the iPhone has compensated for so much, Final Cut Pro X is one of them.