Founders with ADHD

I sometimes wonder if I’d still be where today I am if I didn’t have ADHD.

Genuinely. I’ve been very blessed in my life:

• I’ve founded 2 companies
• My first company was acquired
• I’ve travelled a lot with my work
• I’ve met incredible people through the work I do
• I’ve been able to invest in some epic businesses

…some of this is luck. More of it is incredibly hard work.

So I do wonder what that would look like without ADHD.

I’ve been very honest about how much I work (and whenever I mention this, it comes with the caveat that no, my working style isn’t for everyone) - but I do it because that is literally how I function. It’s how my brain works.

The more I learn about ADHD, the more I can easily recognise the parallels that have fuelled my journey and made me the founder I am today.

..inevitably, I then went down a research hole.

There have been various different studies done - one of which found a genetic link between a dopamine receptor gene variation associated with ADHD and the tendency to be an entrepreneur.

I always appreciate the data to back up a theory - but I’m also someone who values vulnerability and storytelling. So in that spirit, I’ll share more of my own experience of the ADHD > Founder journey with you.

1. The ADHD need for stimulation

I constantly find myself looking for the ‘next thing’.?

I always have.?

This meant that I struggled when I was younger.

There was a period when I wasn’t in school for 7 months of the year.

But that same quality that meant that I struggled then:

• Drives me to always look for new ways to engage customers
• Encourages me to work to find new solutions to specific problems
• Allowed me to work in multiple capacities in my first business

Entrepreneurs (especially early-stage founders) always need to juggle a lot of tasks at any given time. In those first few years, you’re usually doing sales, research, development, fundraising, business admin, payroll…?

The ability to jump from task to task - and genuinely enjoy it - helped me massively in the day-to-day as well as with my mindset when it came to running the business. I was able to manage the workload - but I also thrived in that style of working.

2. The ADHD willingness to take risks

This is something I’ve refined over time, but essentially it looks like taking (calculated) leaps of faith in business and in life. This is the foundation of what drives me - and the risk factor in other people’s stories is something that has always intrigued me as well.

I started an entire podcast based on that curiosity.

For me, the risk-taking element of ADHD enables me to act quickly, based partly on gut instinct, and partly on patterns and trends I have recognised (thank you, dyslexia).

If I was working for someone else, it’s entirely possible that this same quality might have made me unemployable, or at the very least, less desirable to have as a member of a team.

3. The ADHD desire to multi-task

I’ve been fairly open about how I work in the past - in part because I’m aware that it isn’t what most people would consider ‘traditional’. It doesn’t fit the concept of ‘work/life balance’ that we are supposed to advocate for.?

The facts remain:

???? I can be found online at all hours of the day.

???? I enjoy being across multiple projects.

???? I almost always work through lunch.

But from an ADHD point of view, that just means that:

? I work best in highly intensive sprints.

? I can't 'switch off' the way most people do.

? I tend to lean into hyperfocus when it strikes.

Apparently, people with ADHD are not that much better at multi-tasking than the general population - but the key difference is that we genuinely ENJOY multi-tasking, whereas for most it’s something that is perceived as stressful.

This lends itself to being a founder. If you’re starting from zero, you have no choice but to be a jack of all trades - doing everything yourself until you can afford to bring in a team of people and set up an infrastructure where you can delegate.

Don’t get me wrong.?

My ADHD is still something that requires constant energy to manage. It’s taken me a long time to learn how to operate the way I do. I’m still very much a work in progress. But looking at the journey - it’s massively shaped the way I approach business.

I’m always interested in learning more about how others are managing their ADHD, and in connecting with more founders who are navigating the highs and lows! Let me know if there’s anyone you recommend following, or any resources you particularly like ???

Roei