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November 4th, 2024

Ask HN: ADHD and Entrepreneurship

The author feels unfulfilled in traditional jobs and is considering entrepreneurship after financial success from an investment. They worry about ADHD affecting their productivity and aspirations in this new venture.

Ask HN: ADHD and Entrepreneurship

The author reflects on their struggles with traditional employment over the past decade, feeling that working for others has not been fulfilling. Despite attempts to conform to a conventional career path, including trying medication to improve productivity, they find their working memory and thought processes differ from the norm, leading to challenges in a 9-to-5 setting. The author has experienced some financial success through an investment, prompting thoughts of taking a year off to focus on their side projects and explore entrepreneurial opportunities. They express concern about how ADHD might impact their ability to succeed in this new venture, questioning whether it could hinder their aspirations as an entrepreneur.

- The author feels unfulfilled in traditional employment and is considering entrepreneurship.

- They have struggled with productivity and working memory issues, which affect their job performance.

- Financial success from an investment has encouraged the author to pursue side projects.

- There is concern about how ADHD may impact their entrepreneurial efforts.

- The author is contemplating taking a year off to focus on their business ideas.

Related

Tell HN: Check for ADHD

Tell HN: Check for ADHD

A 19-year-old diagnosed with ADHD reflects on their struggles with impulsivity and time management, noting improvements with medication and encouraging others to consider ADHD if they share similar experiences.

Link Icon 12 comments
By @a-saleh - 3 months
To me, the core of my ADHD experience is, that for better or worse, I need the journey to the result be somehow compelling. Meds somewhat help, but steps that are not compelling or absolutely necessary are really hard to pull myself through.

One of the things that helps - having somebody on the journey with you. That makes it worth it and you get somebody to help you keep focus.

By @codingwagie - 3 months
Before you quit, whatever idea you want to build, try to sell it. Go make a landing page, sign up on apollo.io, start sending sales emails. Offer to pay people 100$ per hour to speak with you. If you get sales with no tech, then maybe quit and build.
By @nickd2001 - 3 months
If it causes procrastination, that's a problem. Seems to me, being an entrepreneur requires high levels of self discipline, vs working in some big org where you get told what to do and held to it. I worked at a start-up where my boss who was one of the founders, didn't do what needed doing if it didn't interest him. Suffice to say, the company wasn't ultimately successful. Its understandable that with ADHD people seek to escape the strait-jacket of the conventional workplace, and find somewhere that they can tailor more to their way of working, but I'd caution about entrepreneurship, might be even worse. And if you don't get on with "what you're meant to be doing" you then don't get paid. Whereas in conventional job its easier to work your a* off the next day if you faffed about and had nothing to show one day.
By @ensocode - 3 months
I think that ADHD people can be a perfect fit for one-man shows. But as there are less limiting factors than at a steady 9-to-5 job, things like burnout or procrastination could arise. It all depends on management and focus... and as the other comments say, if it is about products: Sales!
By @d--b - 3 months
> I got lucky with an investment and made a few quick millions.

Er. Go do whatever it is you want to do...

By @mklepaczewski - 3 months
ADHD is a spectrum of traits. Which ones do you experience?

I’ve learned to think of everything as a feature—not an advantage or disadvantage, but simply a characteristic. Some features are beneficial in certain situations, while others may not be. Even a high IQ can be a disadvantage in certain scenarios.

Focus on your strengths, ignore your weaknesses, or hire people to handle the tasks you find challenging.

By @decide1000 - 3 months
Yes, it will. I have ADHD.

I had a good job. Made some money. Quit my job. Started entrepreneurship. I failed for 3 years. All my money was gone, literally. I found a business partner who did the commercial stuff, the stuff which took too much energy of me. I basically gave half of the company away for free to him. Now we earn money, have clients, are happy.

Don't focus on others, focus on the process. People with ADHD have the ability to accelerate. Find your sweet spot.

By @frowin - 3 months
Out of curiosity, investment = crypto? I can relate a tiny bit.
By @debacle - 3 months
ADHD or not, all good entrepreneurs manage themselves.