Episode 54: The ADHD advantage in entrepreneurship, with Peter Shankman
Published on 14 October 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
In volatile times, innovation doesn’t just stall - it leaks.
Before you can fuel new ideas, you need to find where your team’s energy is quietly draining away.
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When people hear “ADHD,” they often picture distraction or chaos. That’s what Peter Shankman’s teachers saw. But he worked to reframe his ADHD mindset as an innovation engine.
The New York entrepreneur, author, and speaker joined me on Culture by Neurodesign to talk about how his ADHD traits power innovation since he’s learnt to design environments that work with his brain, not against it.
“The key to anxiety is action,” Peter says. “If I’m awake at 3 a.m. worrying, I get on the bike. In 20 minutes, I’ve produced the dopamine I need to focus again.”
That drive for action, risk, and novelty built five companies and hundreds of skydives - literally. But Peter’s story also exposes a bigger truth: traditional systems often punish the same traits that make entrepreneurs thrive.
At AOL in the 90s, he experienced freedom and trust, a form of universal design. His next employer brought meetings, check-ins, and micromanagement. He quit in weeks.
“I realized my brain didn’t fit the office. So I built an office that fit my brain.”
This isn’t just personal. In today’s tech-driven, volatile economy, where adaptability beats hierarchy, that mindset is the blueprint for innovation.
Leaders can take three cues from Peter:
Design for focus, not control. Reduce noise and ambiguity.
Reward action over perfection. Momentum generates dopamine - and progress.
Balance difference with connection. Diverse brains thrive when culture provides clarity and trust.
When we attract ADHD brains and connect them well with teammates who complement their strengths through maintenance and execution, innovation becomes sustainable.
The future of entrepreneurship isn’t about fitting in - it’s about designing for brains that have the ideas to build the future.
Peter Shankman is a six-time bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, and the founder of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which changed the face of media outreach. Dubbed “the world’s most authentic marketing expert,” Peter specializes in helping entrepreneurs harness their strengths, build stronger personal brands, and scale faster in an attention-deficit world.
Peter shares how today's best entrepreneurs leverage speed, authenticity, and neurodiverse thinking to drive innovation - and why "different brains" are often the secret weapon behind major success stories.
Join Source Of Sources https://sourceofsources.com/
His books include:
Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain by Peter Shankman
The Boy With The Faster Brain by Peter Shankman
Website: https://www.shankman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterShankman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petershankman/
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/petershankman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petershankman/
