That's just one data point. But: I don't think it's at all common.
Perhaps you're referring to founders specifically though, rather than people you've worked with.
There's immense pressure to say nothing. And that translates into you not knowing.
But the leap to "It's therefore not common" would be mistaken.
(I assume lots of people take adderall, for what it's worth).
Maybe your guess is mistaken, or you're trying to get me to reveal more about myself.
I'm not guessing; I know who you are. Be pseudonymous or don't, but don't try to have things both ways. If you falsely claim to have worked with me, I'm just going to address you here by your full name.
This thread started creepy and weird and got creepier as it went on, so maybe we should wrap it up now.
If you want to ruin six years of pseudonymity, you're free to do so of course.
In the context of the original thread, the claim was that modafanil use is uncommon in startups. I merely pointed out that adderall (which is mostly interchangeable) is quite common. I personally know at least one founder who uses it, for example, and he made it to YC's interview process last batch.
Beyond that, we've certainly interacted enough for you to have a pretty good read on me, so it seemed worth pointing out.
I think there's an outsider perspective on the industry that is very invested in the notion that successful startup founders are generally chemically enhanced. I think that's false, and harmful for obvious reasons. When I ask startup people I know about it, I generally hear the same thing. But: limited visibility.
(I really don't care about adderall; I know a bunch of people with ADHD scripts, and they all seem to need it. I'm more concerned about stuff like modafanil.)