Thank you. Two things: 1) yes, i get overwhelmed a lot with my ADHD. Usually a good cue for me to do sports, yoga, sauna, something that puts me in my body to shift the perspective. 2) get comfortable with the messiness - if you can cope with the discomfort it leads you to become even more creative - since creativity need constraints - messiness being one. Hope this helps? I discuss many emotional themes for founders in Tao of Founders if you want to read more and share feedback. Thanks!
Really appreciate your openness here. The idea of "leaning into the mess" and using movement to reset is something I'm trying to be more intentional about. Sports and physical routine often get overlooked in ADHD management, so it's encouraging to hear how vital it is for you. If you ever feel like sharing more about how you balance creativity with daily structure (or lack of!), I'd love to hear it.
This data completely reframes the entrepreneurship conversation. The fact that 64% of neurodivergent entrepreneurs said starting their own company was "the only way to earn a living" isn't just a statistic—it's an indictment of how poorly traditional employment serves our community.
Your point about cognitive traits as competitive advantages particularly resonates with my clinical experience. That "risk tolerance" in ADHD brains isn't recklessness—it's a dopamine-driven system that actually performs better under uncertainty than in rigid structures. The hyperfocus you mention? I see patients describe 8-hour deep-work sessions that produce months of typical output. But only when they're working on something that genuinely captures their interest.
The "adaptive planning" insight is crucial. What looks like poor planning to neurotypical managers is actually superior flexibility—the ability to pivot based on real-time feedback rather than forcing a predetermined path. This is exactly why many ADHD entrepreneurs struggle with traditional business planning but excel at execution.
I'm particularly interested in your observation about entrepreneurship literally reshaping neurodivergent brains through synaptogenesis. This aligns with emerging research on neuroplasticity in ADHD—the brain's ability to strengthen areas through targeted challenge and engagement.
The discrimination statistics you cite (96% experiencing discrimination, 78% masking) explain why so many of my patients feel like they're living double lives. The cognitive load of constant masking is exhausting and unsustainable.
Have you explored how venture capital evaluation processes could be adapted to better identify neurodivergent founder strengths rather than penalizing presentation differences?
Love how you highlight the creative chaos. Is there a system/habit you find yourself returning to when things get messy?
Thank you. Two things: 1) yes, i get overwhelmed a lot with my ADHD. Usually a good cue for me to do sports, yoga, sauna, something that puts me in my body to shift the perspective. 2) get comfortable with the messiness - if you can cope with the discomfort it leads you to become even more creative - since creativity need constraints - messiness being one. Hope this helps? I discuss many emotional themes for founders in Tao of Founders if you want to read more and share feedback. Thanks!
Really appreciate your openness here. The idea of "leaning into the mess" and using movement to reset is something I'm trying to be more intentional about. Sports and physical routine often get overlooked in ADHD management, so it's encouraging to hear how vital it is for you. If you ever feel like sharing more about how you balance creativity with daily structure (or lack of!), I'd love to hear it.
This data completely reframes the entrepreneurship conversation. The fact that 64% of neurodivergent entrepreneurs said starting their own company was "the only way to earn a living" isn't just a statistic—it's an indictment of how poorly traditional employment serves our community.
Your point about cognitive traits as competitive advantages particularly resonates with my clinical experience. That "risk tolerance" in ADHD brains isn't recklessness—it's a dopamine-driven system that actually performs better under uncertainty than in rigid structures. The hyperfocus you mention? I see patients describe 8-hour deep-work sessions that produce months of typical output. But only when they're working on something that genuinely captures their interest.
The "adaptive planning" insight is crucial. What looks like poor planning to neurotypical managers is actually superior flexibility—the ability to pivot based on real-time feedback rather than forcing a predetermined path. This is exactly why many ADHD entrepreneurs struggle with traditional business planning but excel at execution.
I'm particularly interested in your observation about entrepreneurship literally reshaping neurodivergent brains through synaptogenesis. This aligns with emerging research on neuroplasticity in ADHD—the brain's ability to strengthen areas through targeted challenge and engagement.
The discrimination statistics you cite (96% experiencing discrimination, 78% masking) explain why so many of my patients feel like they're living double lives. The cognitive load of constant masking is exhausting and unsustainable.
Have you explored how venture capital evaluation processes could be adapted to better identify neurodivergent founder strengths rather than penalizing presentation differences?