One of those people is Rick Treitman, with the unique title of entrepreneur-in-residence at Adobe.
We caught up with Rick to learn a little about how he works.
Im living proof that its possible to make a living after majoring in English.
I planned on being an English teacher, but flunked out after two years.
Its the hardest job Ive ever had, and I wasnt up to the task.
I figured Id retire therebut after 15 years, Amazon put us out of business.
We built one of the first online, collaborative word processorsBuzzword.
And we built it in Flash.
Adobe was impressed enough thatthey bought the company in 2007and Ive been EIR at Adobe ever since.
What apps, software, tools cant you live without?
Like most people, Id find it pretty hard to live without email.
I need to web for research.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Whats your favorite to-do list manager?
Ill occasionally make a note in my iPhone through the iOS reminders app.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Id like to think Im good at discovering solutions by seeing intersections between people, problems, and technologies.
What do you listen to while you work?
Got a favorite playlist?
Or do you prefer silence?
WUMBis a great Americana station in Boston, andAmerican Routesis one of the best syndicated shows on radio.
Nick Spitzer, out of New Orleans, puts together an amazing musical journey every week.
I also like jazz and blues playlists on Spotify.
What are you currently reading?
Or whats something youd recommend?
Sapiens, by Yuval Hararia brief history of humankind.
Moonglow, by Michael Chabonfantastic novel based on the life of his grandparents.
Razor Girl, by Carl Hiaassenanother hilarious novel from him.
I read everything of his I can find.
The Relic Master [by] Christopher Buckleyalso pretty funny, as is the rest of his work.
Anything by Dennis Lehane or Elmore Leonard
How do you recharge?
What do you do when you want to forget about work?
We live in the golden age of TV, so Im on Netflix, Amazon, HBO, etc.
looking for good shows.
Reading (cant you tell by my answer above?)
and biking are of course up there.
Whats your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
Over the last three years Ive averaged more than 7,000 miles a year.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
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