Founders Who Think Differently Change the World

Brilliant minds change the world

👉 What if the very traits that made school hard are the same ones that give you your edge as a founder?

The world doesn’t change because everyone thinks the same. It’s disrupted, reimagined, and made brilliant by minds that think differently.

And if you’re a founder, there’s a good chance your brain works differently too.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• Research continues to show a striking pattern: Around 1 in 3 entrepreneurs are dyslexic, compared with about 1 in 10 in the general population.

• Entrepreneurs are at least twice as likely to have ADHD, with some studies suggesting up to five times more likely.

These aren’t throwaway numbers. They reflect what so many founders experience first-hand: the very traits that traditional systems often label as “deficits” are, in fact, entrepreneurial assets.

The takeaway? The minds that don’t fit neatly into the system are the very minds that push the system forward.

Founders who think differently build what the world has never seen

The Strengths ADHD and Dyslexic Founders Bring to Entrepreneurship

Visionary Thinking

Neurodivergent founders often see what others can’t yet imagine: entire futures, markets, and possibilities waiting to be built.

• Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s legendary head of design and dyslexic thinker, imagined the Air Jordan line; not just a shoe, but a cultural phenomenon that reshaped sport and fashion.

• A founder I coached described it as “seeing the whole chessboard at once”, spotting opportunities years ahead of competitors.

Tenacity and Relentlessness

Building a company is rarely smooth. For ND (neurodivergent) founders, years of pushing through systems not designed for them translate into extraordinary grit.

• Barbara Corcoran, investor and dyslexic entrepreneur, turned a $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate empire after being told she’d never succeed in business.

• Many of my clients describe failure as feedback rather than a stopping point. That mindset makes them relentless in pursuing their vision.

Intuition

For ND entrepreneurs, decision-making isn’t just analytical. It’s embodied. They can sense opportunities, read people, and move quickly when others hesitate.

• David Neeleman, ADHD entrepreneur and founder of JetBlue and Azul Airlines, trusted his intuition to design customer-first airline models that disrupted a notoriously rigid industry.

• A founder I worked with used intuition to pivot their product just weeks before launch, a decision that turned out to be the key to attracting their first investors.

Nonlinear Problem-Solving

Traditional problem-solving follows a straight line. ND problem-solving doesn’t. Dyslexic and ADHD minds often leap across fields, connect unexpected dots, and reframe challenges entirely.

• Paul Orfalea, ADHD founder of Kinko’s, spotted a need for quick, accessible copying services at college and built a global business by reframing what “printing” could be.

• In coaching, I see founders jump from one industry to another for inspiration, sparking solutions that step-by-step thinking would never uncover. 

Energy and Creativity

Passion and hyper-focus mean ND founders often work at a level of intensity that others can’t match.

• Richard Branson, dyslexic founder of the Virgin Group, has spoken openly about how dyslexia fuels his creativity and bold risk-taking. His ability to hyper-focus on ideas he believes in, combined with boundless energy, has powered Virgin’s expansion into everything from music to aviation to space. 

• One of my start-up clients channelled hyper-focus into building their MVP in days, a pace that secured them early traction with investors.

Resilience

Resilience isn’t a buzzword for ND founders; it’s lived experience.

• Mel Robbins, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and speaker, has spoken openly about living with ADHD and how it’s shaped both her struggles and her success. She’s described how ADHD fuels her creativity and drive, but also how it required her to build systems, adapt after setbacks, and persist through uncertainty. That resilience has been central to building a global brand that spans books, media, and coaching.

• I’ve supported founders through failed funding rounds who came back sharper, reframing their pitches and securing investment later.

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Start-ups live in uncertainty. ND founders often thrive here, moving forward without every step mapped out.

• Ingvar Kamprad, dyslexic founder of IKEA, turned what might have been limitations into bold new models. From reinventing product naming to pioneering flat-pack furniture and self-assembly, he consistently embraced untested ideas in ambiguous territory. Where others saw risk or confusion, he saw opportunity, and built one of the world’s most recognisable brands. 

• Many of my clients tell me they “figure it out as they go”, and their ability to tolerate ambiguity becomes a competitive edge.

The Shadow Side of a Founder’s Neurodivergent Superpower

The same traits that fuel innovation can also create obstacles. The intensity, creativity, and relentless drive that power ND founders forward don’t always come neatly packaged. What makes you exceptional in one context can trip you up in another. Left unchecked, these same strengths can create friction, stress, or blind spots that slow momentum and make the founder journey harder than it needs to be.

Many ND founders tell me they struggle with:

• Focus. A mind full of ideas is a gift, but it can make it difficult to decide what matters most. ND founders often describe chasing multiple opportunities at once, which risks diluting impact and slowing progress.

• Communication. A visionary idea may be clear in your head, but funders, boards, and teams may not immediately “get it.” Translating nonlinear, innovative thinking into linear, investor-ready language is one of the most consistent hurdles I see.

• Energy management. Hyper-focus can lead to extraordinary bursts of productivity, but it often comes at a cost: exhaustion, disrupted sleep, or burnout. The very energy that fuels breakthroughs can, if unchecked, drain a founder to the point of stalling.

• Overwhelm. Running a business isn’t just about vision and ideas. Operational demands such as finances, hiring, compliance, and processes can feel draining or frustrating for ND founders who thrive in big-picture or creative work.

• Isolation. Thinking differently can be lonely. Many ND founders tell me they have felt misunderstood or out of step in environments built for more conventional approaches. That sense of “otherness” can create self-doubt or second-guessing, even in the midst of success.

These challenges don’t erase brilliance, but they can hold founders back from realising their full potential. 

Brilliance Alone Isn’t Enough

Because raw brilliance, without the right structures and support, doesn’t automatically translate into success.

That’s where the right guidance makes the difference.

How I Help Founders Who Think Differently

I work with founders who think differently, not to change how their brains work, but to help them harness their unique edge. Too often, founders are told to “fit the mould” or smooth out the very traits that make them exceptional. My work is the opposite: I help them lean into their vision, creativity, and drive, while giving them the tools, focus, and language to turn those raw strengths into sustainable success.

I work at the intersection of innovation, neuroscience, and neurodiversity and I bring a neurodivergent brain wired for nonlinear insight, creativity, intuition, and pattern recognition. This allows me to sit alongside founders not just as a coach, but as a peer who understands how differently wired minds operate. I help them sharpen their thinking, channel their energy, and translate their brilliance into impact that resonates with investors, boards, and teams.

What this looks like in practice:

• Clarity - cutting through noise to prioritise what actually moves the business.

• Translation - shaping visionary ideas into investor-ready narratives and simple operating plans.

• Momentum - turning bursts of hyper-focus into consistent progress without burnout.

• Confidence - being a trusted thinking partner so founders feel understood, backed, and equipped to lead in their own way.

• Resilience - building strategies and mindsets to sustain performance and bounce back stronger from setbacks.

• Impact - turning bold vision into tangible growth, innovation, and results.

I’ve coached founders through launches, funding rounds, exits, and rapid growth, helping them convert a different way of thinking into clarity, impact, results, and better well-being.

Because the truth is: the future isn’t built by following the rulebook. It’s built by founders who think differently.

👉 If you’re a founder who thinks differently and you want to harness your unique edge for even greater success, I would love to connect.