Advertorial for Adobe Acrobat Studio
Franki Hobson
Jane Lu has built one of Australiaโs most successful fashion businesses by challenging one of startup cultureโs most celebrated ideas: that success comes from working longer and harder than everyone else.
The founder and CEO of global fashion brand Showpo prefers a different label. โThe lazy CEO,โ she says with a laugh.
It is a mindset that helped Lu grow Showpo from a small startup run out of her parentsโ garage into a $100 million global brand. Instead of glorifying long hours and constant busywork, she focuses on building systems that eliminate wasted effort and allow teams to focus on work that actually moves the business forward.
โWorking harder builds startups,โ Lu explains. โBut working smarter is how you scale companies.โ
That realisation came when the business began growing rapidly and Lu recognised she had become the bottleneck. โMy 15-hour days were not shifting the needle the way they used to,โ she says. โThat is when I realised systems and processes were the real solution.โ
Today, Showpo relies on a range of digital tools and automation to simplify operations and help teams focus on the tasks that really matter.
Watch the full video below to find out Jane Luโs secret weapon.
Cutting waste and creating seamless systems
For Lu, efficiency starts with removing repetitive tasks and creating smarter workflows.
โIf you have to do something twice, then build a system for it,โ she says.
That principle is shaping how many businesses approach documents, approvals and collaboration. Platforms such as Adobe Acrobat Studio are designed to turn everyday document work into a streamlined productivity system.
Rather than simply opening and signing PDFs, teams can use Acrobat Studio to manage the entire document workflow in one place. AI-powered tools can summarise complex documents, highlight key insights and help users move from reading to action more quickly.
For businesses handling contracts, proposals, reports or internal approvals, these features can remove hours of manual work.
Security is another key advantage. Acrobat includes password protection, encryption and secure digital signatures that allow teams to review and approve documents confidently across devices.
For leaders like Lu, the value of these tools is simple. They free up time for decisions that truly matter. โModern tools do not replace human effort,โ she says. โThey make teams more efficient. Instead of gathering reports, people can spend more time interpreting the data and making better decisions.โ
As businesses continue to adopt AI-powered productivity tools, the goal is not to work harder. It is to build systems that allow teams to focus on the work that drives real progress. And thatโs a patter for success.
Discover how Adobe Acrobat Studio helps professionals streamline documents, automate tasks and collaborate more efficiently. Explore the AI-powered productivity tools at adobe.com/acrobat.
