Author: Natalie Hoberman & Motley Bloom Team
Walk through an Ikea and you’ll notice the less-than-typical naming conventions. You know the ones: FÄRGRIK, KLIPPAN, BILLY. Half of us can’t pronounce them, and the other half are still unsure if we accidentally bought a bookshelf or a footstool.
This naming system was no accident. Nor a Scandinavian quirk. It was a workaround meant to suit a neurodivergent entrepreneur.
Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s founder, had dyslexia. Numbers were hard to remember, so he replaced product codes with words. In Ikea, each category of product is named after something. Children’s items are named after birds and mammals. Rugs are named after towns. Desks and chairs? Boy names. The system worked for his brain.
Many of the most prolific founders carry neurodivergent traits. The list is long and varied: Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington, investor Charles Schwab, and author Tim Ferriss.
And the data backs it up.
Studies have found that individuals with ADHD are significantly more likely to become entrepreneurs — some estimate up to 500% more. Dyslexic individuals also show up in entrepreneurship at disproportionately high rates. In the U.K., one study found that 40% of self-made millionaires were dyslexic. And in tech spaces, especially in Silicon Valley, autism is common, even if unspoken.
As conversations around neurodivergence grow louder, new avenues are also opening for how we think about work, worth, and what makes a good entrepreneur.
The Neurodiversity & Entrepreneurship Association (NEA) in the U.K. recently launched ThriveND, a 12-month initiative aimed at creating inclusive support for neurodivergent entrepreneurs. NEA estimates that around 18% of self-employed individuals are neurodivergent, with many choosing self-employment after struggling in traditional workplaces.
But why?
What is it about neurodivergent traits that makes entrepreneurship a logical career path?
Inextricable Link Between Neurodivergence And Entrepreneurship
Most of the rules about how to build a business weren’t made for neurodivergent people. They assume linear timelines, strong executive function, and energy that shows up when you need it. When people describe successful entrepreneurs, they use words like “driven,” “focused,” “visionary.” Rarely do they say “impulsive,” “obsessive,” or “uncomfortable in authority.”
But in entrepreneurship, that’s often the frequency where a lot of breakthrough ideas live.
Miriam Groom, neurodivergent career therapist and founder of Mindful Career, sees this everyday.
“Neurodivergent people often make incredible founders,” she says. “They naturally think differently. They spot gaps or opportunities that most people overlook.”
What Traits Make Us “Good” At Business?
Many of the same traits that can make day-to-day life more challenging for neurodivergent people — sensitivity, restlessness, non-linear thinking — are the exact ones that can make someone exceptional at starting something new.
“In terms of traits that help, the big ones I notice are deep hyperfocus when something matters, very creative problem solving, strong systems or pattern thinking, resilience, adaptability and a lot of passion-driven motivation,” says Miriam. “These traits can be huge advantages when someone is building a business.”
Let’s say you have ADHD. Maybe routines are a slog, but once something lights you up, you drop into a hyperfocus tunnel. That tunnel is where product lines, platforms, and startups are born.
People with dyslexia often develop strong visual and spatial reasoning as a way to navigate a world built on text. This can lead to inventive thinking, creative problem solving, and an uncanny knack for systems.
What looks like a liability in one environment becomes a competitive advantage in another — if you build the environment right.
Creating The Right Environment
Of course, it’s not all dopamine highs and Shark Tank moments. Being neurodivergent and running a business can be exhausting if it’s not done properly.
This is where so many founders burn out. They’ve got the ideas, the energy, the spark. But the scaffolding around them doesn’t hold. So they either try to control every detail (because delegating feels impossible), or they hyperfixate on tweaking a slide deck for 6 hours and forget they have payroll to run.
“The number one thing that helps is building structure,” Miriam adds. “Templates. Automations. Task batching. Delegating early. This is what keeps their energy steady without feeling restrictive.”
Some other tips she suggests? Build your business around how your brain actually works. If 5-step morning routines aren’t your thing, don’t do them and embrace your late-night creative spurts. Keep your systems simple and low-friction. Protect your downtime so you don’t work out. Say no to the things that drain you, even if you could technically do them
But most importantly, “embrace your neurodivergent traits instead of masking them.”
These are usually your competitive edge.
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