Behaviors resembling ADHD may be linked to increased entrepreneurial behavior

This actually has nothing to do with ADHD. It's badly named and badly thought out.

It's actually reporting on a 2nd order effect sleep deprivation has via impaired executive function on impulsivity.

Should be titled 'Sleep deprivation may be linked to increased entreprenurial behavior'.

It reads like low-quality, hot garbage.

I have ADHD (and chronic sleep issues) that were undiagnosed until I was in my early 20's.

With a less than stellar childhood under my belt with an abusive, narcissistic father and enabling mother, I ended up being a social recluse and only recently in my mid 20's have I figured out that I'm severely lacking in my "executive functioning" skills (along with other ideal skills like social skills, people skills, etc.) thanks to finally seeing a psychiatrist about it... (5 years seeing them on and off and I'm still working through my issues - for those with problems, please stick with your mental health care, it helps a lot even if it doesn't seem like it most times)

It's insurmountably hard to dig out of the hole I've dug with numerous issues (ADHD, anxiety, depression, chronic issues with restful sleep since a young age - not helped by my obesity and my apparent "ability" to convince myself not to exercise even though I think about doing it - and get angry when I don't do it - fairly often)

I guess I can congratulate myself that I was able to make it through college and have a full-time job in Engineering making somewhat decent money.

I get angry at myself pretty much almost daily for the things that I've failed to do, awkward situations I've been in, things I regret doing or not doing... It's taken (and is still taking) a very big toll on my mental health and I don't think any medication will help me with that. It gets to the point where I'm so frustrated, I'll make angry "noises" out loud (when alone - that's weird to do publicly) in a way to try and help get what's bugging me out because I can't talk to anybody around me about it.

Now, with that MASSIVE tangent - I can see the paper making sense in that ADHD will allow people to take more "risks" without thinking of the consequences too much, which could be interpreted as "entrepreneurial", however I think it's just renaming/re-badging something that should be addressed and corrected/adjusted, not celebrated...

A lot of people in the comments appear to have a misunderstanding of ADHD and sleep disorders. It is possible to have both conditions simultaneously, and likely very common. ADHD is a condition defined by a sustained period of symptoms, not underlying causes or biological tests. It is 100% consistent for someone to have ADHD in one environment and not in another. This is how it is viewed in psychiatry. If you spend many years as an accountant focusing on detailed work in your job, but you can’t focus to complete your work, you may be diagnosed with ADHD and treated with medicine. If you then change careers to be an artist in a creative field, but face no dysfunction or difficulty in completing your work, you would no longer be diagnosed. The same applies to having a sleep disorder and then getting it treated. Though it is not clear if sleep disorders in childhood cause irreversible changes to the brain.

As an anecdote, some of the brightest founders I’ve met, and have had the pleasure of working with - would certainly fall into this category.

Some of these folks have expressed their challenges in functioning optimally in traditional structured 9-to-5’s, open-office environments and the like. Perhaps they are motivated by creating an environment that works for them, rather than being a product of a one-size-fits-all approach.

We need to embrace neurodiversity, not stigmatize it.

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.“

ADHD makes normal life/jobs/college harder, which leaves entrepreneurship as a viable option. It might be less chosen and more that you don't fit as well into regular societal work expectations. That was my case. Worked out well for me, but when I failed grade 12 and then failed out of college it didn't seem great at the time.

Anecdotally, most of the people from my high school who went on to be entrepreneurial definitely had a naughty streak in them.

I think there is an overlap in the two personalities for sure

So what about stims like amphetamine or cocaine? They provide even more impulsive tendencies and hyperactivity than a bad nights sleep.

To be honest its sound to me like they are getting the effect backwards.

What does ADHD have to do with sleep deprivation?!?? Why are we conflating poor sleep habits with ADHD unless someone is abusing ADHD medication and not getting enough sleep? Why do I let poorly written articles bother me so much?