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December 13, 2006
I'm joining the Apollo team!
I'm very excited to announce that I've accepted the position of Sr. Product Manager on the Apollo team at Adobe. It was a very difficult decision because I'm so attached to the Flash team (I bleed Flash red!), but in the end, it was simply an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I really think Apollo has the potential to be one of the most important technologies in the history of the Web, just like Flash. I also think Apollo has the promise to take Adobe to the next level.
We're currently looking for someone to take the reigns of Flash and I'm fully committed to helping the team find a great person to do the job. We have some very strong candidates already and I'll be sure to communicate the team's selection as soon as we know.
Flash 8 has been - by far - the most successful release of Flash ever and Flash CS3 is on track to top it. I'm happy to be leaving Flash in a better position than when I joined the team. The team is very strong and full of brilliant people who have some really great plans for the future. I'll be staying closely involved with seeing the Flash team through next year's CS3 release and I also plan to help kick-start the planning for the next release of Flash, but over the next few weeks my focus will start shifting over to making Apollo 1.0 a success. We have a lot of rock stars on the Apollo team - so this should be another fun group for me to work with.
Posted by mike.downey at December 13, 2006 05:15 PM
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Comments
Congratulations, Mike!
-todd
[md] Thanks, Todd! [/md]
Posted by: todd anderson at December 13, 2006 05:49 PM
Congrats Mike, you've done a tremendous job with Flash. I'm sure you will do great things on the Apollo team!
[md] Thanks, Chafic. I'm really excited. [/md]
Posted by: Chafic Kazoun at December 13, 2006 05:56 PM
Congratulations! I'm sure you're going to help make Apollo a huge success.
[md] Thanks, Michael. I think it will be developers like yourself that will ultimately make Apollo a success. The team and I just have to make sure we build something that can make you successful. [/md]
Posted by: Michael Kaufman at December 13, 2006 06:14 PM
congrats Mike,
but i'm really concerned about the Flash Authoring, it needs a solid pro guy like you.
anyway... have great time with Apollo team.
// chall3ng3r //
[md] Thank you! I wouldn't worry about the Flash authoring tool. It is by far the strongest product team that I've ever known. They have many strong leaders and we'll be sure to find a great product manager to take my place. Plus, Apollo's success will be heavily influenced by the success of Flash and Flex so I will stay very close to those teams and will help them in any way that I can. [/md]
Posted by: chall3ng3r at December 13, 2006 06:26 PM
Congrats; Apollo is indeed one of the most promising technologies around and will generate a great buzz in 2007. I will presenting Apollo in the AjaxWorld Conference, and I expect a great attention in this community.
[md] That's great news, Rob. I'm particularly excited about building relationships in the AJAX community and making sure Apollo becomes the ultimate platform for AJAX developers who want to build rich Internet applications for the desktop. It's a vibrant community and I really think they're going to like what we're doing. It will be challenging but that's what makes this business so much fun. [/md]
Posted by: Rob Gonda at December 13, 2006 07:27 PM
Congrats, Mike! You guys are bound for great things. Now, just be good and refrain from hoovering up all the talent at the 'Dobe. (You guys just took one of the best Photoshop QE guys!) ;-) In all seriousness, we look for great things from your new team, and I have no doubt you'll deliver.
Posted by: John Nack at December 13, 2006 08:05 PM
HI Mike,
Congratulations! You are one of the great contributors of the Flash team. And I hope your journey towards Apollo will bring great success to Apollo 1.0.
Posted by: Suketu Vyas at December 13, 2006 08:13 PM
Very cool. Does this mean you get to go to the 360Flex conference now! =)
Seriously though, congrats. I take it that Apollo will not fall under the Flex naming umbrella like originally envisioned? Do we haven another Fl- product name in the works?
"Adobe Flesh - Bringing the meat of the net into your desktop."
"Adobe Flower - The seedling web experience has grown up."
"Adobe Flip - Flip from the web to your desktop and back."
"Adobe Flow - Let the web Flow into your desktop."
Pesonally, I like Flow. =)
Posted by: Tom Ortega at December 13, 2006 08:26 PM
Congrats :) Keep ur success going ahead...You were also one of the astonishing personality in my life., I am sure that Apollo would also achieve greater success one day... The day is not too far....
cheers
Posted by: Durairaj at December 13, 2006 08:30 PM
Congratulations. Let's make this Apollo thing happen.
M
Posted by: diamondtearz at December 13, 2006 08:40 PM
Congrats Mike - best of luck to you!
Posted by: Robert M. Hall at December 13, 2006 09:38 PM
Congratulation Mike!!
Posted by: Rafiq Elmansy at December 13, 2006 10:14 PM
Wow Mike, what a huge step! Very exciting and I am sure you'll make that product kick ass as you did with Flash. Good Luck!
[md] Thank you! The team and the customers will make Apollo kick ass - I just need to help make sure we make the right decisions. It's going to be a lot of fun. [/md]
Posted by: Moca at December 13, 2006 10:52 PM
You deserve every success. I look forward to hearing great things from you about Apollo.
[md] Thanks, Lucian. We still have a lot of work to do but I think Apollo is going to do a lot for developers. [/md]
Posted by: Lucian Beebe at December 13, 2006 11:09 PM
Waw that's very exciting news! Congrats Mike!
Posted by: Serge at December 13, 2006 11:38 PM
Congratulations from me too Mike!
It's a bit weird, i have that strange feelings again just like last year's Macromedia's acquisition.But that finally was good (although i'll always missing the "name" - MACROMEDIA) and i'm absolutely sure that this is great news for the new baby, Apollo..
I wish you the best and please keep blogging about flash too..
Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Posted by: Savvas Malamas at December 14, 2006 01:29 AM
That's quite an investment putting both Mikes on the Apollo team. But it makes sense. This tells me just how serious Adobe is about making Apollo a success, which is very cool.
[md] Thanks, Keith. Mike Chambers and I are both very committed to seeing Apollo succeed. It's going to be a lot of fun! [/md]
Posted by: keith peters at December 14, 2006 04:03 AM
Great to hear Mike, congratulations! The future is bright for Apollo and you leave behind quite a legacy with your work on Flash.
[md] Thanks, Peter. Working on Flash has been the best job of my life. Apollo is probably the only thing in the entire industry that could possibly pull me away from Flash. [/md]
Posted by: Peter Elst at December 14, 2006 05:13 AM
“Apollo this is Houston. Congrats on successful transfere. over."
great news
allthebest Mike rok on \m/
Posted by: simon conlin at December 14, 2006 07:16 AM
Wow! Congrats!
If I weren`t already paying attention to Apollo, I`d be taking it much more seriously now. This is very good news.
Posted by: Kristin Henry at December 14, 2006 12:26 PM
My boss asked me yesterday what Apollo was. Make sure everyone knows.
[md] Thanks, Bill. I agree that we have plenty of work to do in order to get the word out. Please help us spread the word and tip us off to any opportunities or suggestions. [/md]
Posted by: Bill Napier at December 14, 2006 12:31 PM
Completly instresting position, the Apollo will make a huge sucess as Flash did. You in head of that I have no questions on that.
Good luck for next couples of years.
[md] Thanks, Igor. Luckily I'm joining a fantastic management team that includes Mike Chambers, Luis Polanco, Ed Rowe, and several other brilliant and talented people. And the dev, qe and docs team is top-notch, best-of-the-best, so we're in really good shape. [/md]
Posted by: Igor Costa at December 14, 2006 02:06 PM
Congrats Mike !! Apollo will rock even more with you in the team ! Looking forward to the 1.0 release on labs...
Posted by: Koen De Weggheleire at December 14, 2006 11:10 PM
Big time congrats Mike! I look forward to seeing how you help shape Apollo!
Posted by: John C. Bland II at December 15, 2006 08:24 PM
Congratulations Mike! With your experience, Apollo will be a greater product!
Posted by: luca mezzalira at December 16, 2006 01:19 AM
If anybody wasn't already convinced that Apollo will be a huge success then they will be now! I wonder which department you'll be heading up once Apollo 9 CS3 Professional hits the streets :-)
Nice one Mike and best of luck.
Posted by: Stefan Richter at December 16, 2006 01:46 AM
Great stuff! Congrats Mike.
Apollo is in good hands then.
Posted by: Guy Watson at December 18, 2006 02:49 AM
We 'll miss your name in flash product (help >> about flash) .
[md] Hehe. Well, I think I can probably get it in there for Flash CS3! [/md]
Posted by: Saeed Ashour at December 29, 2006 10:54 AM
Hi Mike,
Congrats on the new appointment!
Could you please email me and tell me who will be taking over from you in the Flash department?
We would like to get more involved with the Flash guys since most of our work done in the UK and South Africa is done with Flash and other Adobe products.
Many thanks,
James
Posted by: James at February 13, 2007 12:01 AM