Entrepreneurs with ADHD Delegate to Compensate

Andrew Wilkinson's experience with ADHD reveals how entrepreneurs can leverage their neurodivergence while mitigating its challenges through strategic delegation and systems.

ADHD in Entrepreneurship: Strengths and Adaptations

• ADHD is surprisingly common among entrepreneurs (30% vs 5% in general population)
• Many entrepreneurs with ADHD share similar traits:
  • Love exploring new things and jumping between topics
  • Tend to be "an inch deep and a mile wide" in their interests
  • Often describe themselves as "unemployable" in traditional settings
  • Can hyperfocus on areas of interest while struggling with routine tasks

The Delegation Strategy for ADHD Entrepreneurs

• Work environment adaptation: "At work if you have ADHD you can delegate to other people and build systems to get around your disability"
• Create systems that compensate for executive function challenges:
  • Delegate tasks requiring sustained attention or follow-through
  • Build automated reminders and accountability structures
  • Surround yourself with detail-oriented team members
  • Establish clear processes for routine operations

Personal vs. Professional Management

• Professional settings offer more structure and delegation options
• Personal life reveals the true challenges of ADHD:
  • "At home that's where it really plays out"
  • Simple requests (like taking out garbage) become repeated failures
  • These failures are often misinterpreted as lack of care or respect
  • Creates relationship strain when the real issue is executive function

Benefits of Diagnosis and Treatment

• Diagnosis provides self-understanding and reduces shame:
  • "It made me feel not broken"
  • "I always felt a bit broken... I'm not good at doing all the things everyone else seems to be able to do"
• Treatment options can dramatically improve quality of life:
  • Medication can help manage symptoms
  • Lifestyle and dietary interventions
  • Communication strategies with partners and colleagues
  • Creating external systems to compensate for internal challenges

The Entrepreneurial Advantage

• ADHD traits that can benefit entrepreneurs:
  • Ability to see novel connections between ideas
  • Comfort with risk-taking and uncertainty
  • Tendency to hyperfocus on areas of passion
  • Thinking outside conventional boundaries
• The key is building complementary systems and teams that shore up weaknesses