ADHD can provide a boost when starting a business—but become a burden later on

ADHD is not necessarily a superpower for entrepreneurs. Hyperactivity and impulsivity are linked to a greater tendency to start businesses—while attention problems can, above all, cause problems once the business is up and running. This is shown by a new review of the research on ADHD and entrepreneurship.

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The image of the successful “ADHD entrepreneur” has gained widespread traction. In books, on social media, and in newspaper articles, ADHD is often described as an asset for entrepreneurs. But the research paints a much more complex picture.

We should avoid saying that ADHD is a strength or a weakness. That’s not meaningful, since it’s much more multifaceted, said Johan Wiklund, a professor at Syracuse University in the United States, during a webinar organized by Esbri on August 26.

He has been conducting research on ADHD and entrepreneurship for the past 15 years. During the webinar, he presented the results of a meta-analysis of 43 scientific articles on ADHD and entrepreneurship that he conducted together with fellow researchers.

– I’m a researcher, not an influencer, so I’ll be talking about what we actually know. That often makes the picture more multifaceted and more boring than what you find in books or on social media. But on the other hand, it’s fact-based and more accurate.

Easy to get started—harder to keep going

According to Johan Wiklund, ADHD cannot be treated as a single trait. Above all, he distinguishes between hyperactivity and impulsivity on the one hand, and attention problems on the other.

Hyperactivity and impulsivity can manifest, among other things, as high energy, impatience, and a tendency to act quickly. These traits are positively correlated with entrepreneurial attitudes and with actually starting a business.

– It’s hyperactivity and impulsivity that drive this in the beginning. That’s what kind of makes you push forward and get things started.

It is precisely this willingness to take action that can be useful in entrepreneurship, where uncertainty is often high.

– Most people get anxious and do nothing at all when there’s a high level of uncertainty. But those who tend to act first and think later—they get things done, said Johan Wiklund.

Once the business is up and running, the picture changes. Attention problems—such as difficulty staying focused, planning, organizing, and completing tasks—are primarily associated with the later stages of entrepreneurship.

– ADHD is good for getting started. But it’s bad for keeping things going, Johan Wiklund summarized.

The company may fare better than the contractor

The researchers also distinguish between the company’s performance and the entrepreneur’s well-being.

Attention problems are negatively correlated with both the company’s performance and the entrepreneur’s well-being. The picture is different when it comes to hyperactivity and impulsivity. After the company is launched, there is no negative correlation with the company’s performance, but there is one with the entrepreneur’s well-being.

– Companies can survive even if the founder is impulsive. However, the founder doesn’t fare very well after the company is launched. This distinction is easily lost if success is measured solely by the company’s performance, and it’s important to make this distinction. How the entrepreneur is doing versus how the business is doing, said Johan Wiklund.

Entrepreneurship Might Be the Right Fit

One possible explanation for why people with ADHD are drawn to entrepreneurship is that starting a business offers greater freedom than many traditional jobs.

People who are self-employed have greater control over their work hours, can switch between tasks, and can devote more time to things they find stimulating.

– It’s possible to adapt it so that your strengths come to the fore and your weaknesses aren’t so obvious, said Johan Wiklund.

The meta-analysis provides some support for the idea that entrepreneurship may be a better fit for certain people with ADHD.

– People with ADHD are naturally drawn to it. They have a positive attitude and believe they have what it takes to do it. And they also start businesses.

Two other common explanations, however, find no support in the research review. The researchers found no evidence that increased creativity explains the link between ADHD and entrepreneurship, nor that a different attention style makes people with ADHD better at spotting opportunities that others miss.

– We don’t get any support for this idea of creativity and thinking differently. Nor do we get any support for the idea that a different attention style would have an impact on that.

Is it different for men and women?

One question to which research has not yet provided a clear answer is whether the associations differ between women and men. In the studies included in the meta-analysis, there is a clear predominance of men. This makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about gender differences, since many of the positive associations found are based on studies in which men are the majority.

However, Johan Wiklund also presented results from a separate, more recent study in which the group consisted of roughly equal numbers of women and men. In that study, the results were different.

– When we have a balanced group with roughly equal numbers of men and women, we find that ADHD has a positive effect on men but a negative effect on women when it comes to entrepreneurship.

According to Wiklund, this shows how important it is not to treat people with ADHD as a homogeneous group. Other factors also play a role. Furthermore, the results vary across different regions and depending on how the research was conducted.

– It’s not about ADHD; it’s about the symptoms and the stage of the process the company is in, said Johan Wiklund.

“Ask others for help”

For people with ADHD who already run a business, Johan Wiklund emphasizes, above all, the importance of building a support system around the aspects of running a business that are the most challenging.

During the Q&A session, one participant described how many ideas and projects are constantly vying for their attention and asked how they could get better at prioritizing.

Wiklund’s advice was to seek help from someone who thinks differently.

– Work with other people who aren’t like that. People who are more “boring” and who like to focus on one or two things. It could be a co-founder or an employee, but also a friend or partner.

– Ask others for help and be aware of your own weaknesses.

For some people, therefore, the qualities that help them get a business off the ground may need to be complemented by people with entirely different qualities when it comes time to keep the business going.

– It’s possible to be very, very successful. But that requires the entrepreneur to compensate for his weaknesses, said Johan Wiklund.

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