5 Lessons I Learned Scaling My Startup With ADHD

By Bogdan Nesvit 

Founding a startup is one of the toughest career paths you can take — evidenced by the 90% that are unsuccessful, 21% of which fail within the first year.

In an environment where the odds are stacked against you, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, compounds the challenges founders face. Research shows that 80% of those with ADHD experience work-related struggles, while 69% of neurodivergent people suffer from impostor syndrome, which puts many off pursuing entrepreneurship.

Diagnosed with ADHD and having scaled my company, Holywater, from zero to $90 million in annual revenue, I know firsthand that it isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. It takes hard work, a good team and plenty of self-awareness, but neurodivergence is no barrier to success.

Recognize your shortcomings

Early-stage startups have a slim margin for error. One wrong move can waste the entire budget, leaving the company on the brink. Research shows that startups are most likely to fail due to a lack of resources, inadequate planning and loss of focus. This makes those with ADHD prime for failure, given the difficulty many face in maintaining focus and sticking to a task.

In our first 18 months we launched more than 10 apps. We appeared productive, but quickly discovered that a lack of clear direction is unsustainable for a cash-strapped startup.

To turn our situation around, my team and I created a roadmap, setting quarterly development goals with a focus on high-impact tasks. By swapping disarray for direction, we transformed our struggling startup into a blossoming business with over 20 million global users.

Understand your condition

ADHD comes with challenges. You can either let it defeat you or you can show that entrepreneurial spirit and deal with it — not with pills, but through self-reflection and understanding.

Just as in the professional world, understanding a problem is the first step toward addressing it. Working with mentors and coaches, I was able to get to the root of my condition and learned many of my behaviors were coping mechanisms shaped by early stress. Armed with this insight, I was able to create strategies for managing ADHD in my professional life, improving my focus and decision-making — insight that allowed me to take action, tailoring my work environment to minimize distractions and maintain focus.

Be honest with your team

Opening up is difficult, but being honest with my team transformed the way we work together. I give every employee full permission to chase me on urgent tasks and pull me back to reality when my ADHD-driven enthusiasm gets the best of me. The result? An environment of mutual trust and support, where we’re all pulling in the same direction.

On a personal level, this requires accountability. I complete small requests immediately and write everything down, which keeps me organized and focused, ensuring no task — no matter how minor — gets missed.

Train your concentration

Success requires focus, and focus requires discipline. That doesn’t come naturally with ADHD, but it can be trained through meditation, cold water baths, early-morning cardio sessions, quality sleep and cutting out vices such as alcohol. These practices help me to avoid distractions and stay focused — a solid foundation for managing ADHD and leading a startup.

Even then, motivation will wane at times, as it does for everyone — and that’s OK. Neurodivergent or not, everyone faces bad days at the office, but stay consistent, don’t let those momentary lapses define your startup’s journey.

Delegate responsibilities

You wouldn’t expect your CMO to put together a five-year financial projection or task your CTO with managing payroll, so cut yourself some slack.

I struggle with monotonous tasks, so I don’t do them. Instead, I built a team much better suited to this. Don’t be afraid to delegate — research shows leaders who do generate up to 33% more revenue — and that goes for all founders.

This shift has made me a better leader by allowing me to step back from micromanaging, and it has also made my team more proactive and engaged. No longer held back by sprawling spreadsheets and endless emails, I’m able to focus on my greatest skill: generating revenue-boosting ideas.

By building a team that fills the gaps and addresses your limitations, ADHD becomes less of an obstacle and little more than a footnote in your startup’s story.

Bogdan Nesvit is the CEO and founder of Holywater, a transmedia tech company that combines creators’ imagination with AI’s efficiency to build personalized worlds for 32 million-plus users. Under his leadership, Holywater has achieved $90 million in annual revenue, reaching users in more than 190 countries. He also serves as a limited partner at Flyer One Ventures, where he advises startup founders on building value-oriented tech companies. Before founding Holywater, Bogdan gained extensive expertise in international relations and large-scale product management through roles at the United Nations and British American Tobacco.

Illustration: Dom Guzman