Long invisibilized, forms of neurodivergence such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia are starting to be better identified in professional circles. But in the entrepreneurial world, they remain both taboo and powerfully present. Because many leaders, without always having known it from the start, are themselves neuroatypic. And if these peculiarities can set up concrete challenges, they are also at the origin of exceptional qualities: singular vision, extraordinary concentration capacity, strategic intuition, standard resistance. It is still necessary that the ecosystem agrees to recognize them … and to make them a force.
A different operation, often not diagnosed
Many entrepreneurs discover their neuroatypia late, sometimes during a professional exhaustion, a change of rhythm or a parenting. This was the case of Romain Raffard, founder of Quitoque, diagnosed ADH after several years at the head of her business. “I always felt out of step, too fast, too dispersed. The diagnosis helped me to put words on what I was going through and to build suitable tools.”
This initial “discrepancy”, often a source of suffering, can also explain the entry into entrepreneurship. For many, it is a way of creating a working environment more compatible with their mental operation. Do not undergo a rigid framework, invent your own rules, work at your own pace: as many freedoms that allows entrepreneurship and which sometimes correspond perfectly to the needs of neurodivergent profiles.
Amplified cognitive qualities… if they are channeled
Far from stereotypes, certain forms of neuroatypia can become real engines. ADHD, often associated with a thoughtful thought and strong impulsiveness, can generate overflowing creativity and an ability to quickly launch projects. “When an idea arises, I can make it happen in 24 hours. It’s exhilarating, but I have to surround myself with more structured profiles to last long,” explains Camille Moreau, founder of several brands in circular fashion, diagnosed with ADHD at 33 years.
Among aspergers, analytical logic and hyperfocalization can become weight assets in tech, finance or engineering. The example of Hugo Horiot, writer and entrepreneur, who has become a figure in neurodiversity in France, illustrates this possible valuation of a unique operation. “I am not disabled, I am configured differently,” he summarizes in his conferences. This “differently” is sometimes exactly what it takes to invent original models.
Concrete obstacles, still minimized by the ecosystem
But this cognitive diversity is not without obstacles. Hyperstimulation, difficulty managing time, emotional overload, inability to have certain social interactions: so many realities that can complicate the life of a neuroatypic entrepreneur, especially in the first years.
The problem is that the French entrepreneurial environment is still not inclusive. Incubators or accelerators rarely offer suitable devices. The “pitching” injunctions, constantly network, to hold hellish rates, are often difficult to sustain for neurodivergent profiles. “We are talking about innovation but not enough cognitive diversity. However, it is an immense pool of talents”, underlined in 2023 Émilie Boulay, founder of the Inklusiv association, which accompanies autistic entrepreneurs.
Build a tailor -made model for yourself … and for others
Faced with this, more and more neuroatypic founders choose to build their business not despite their singularity, but from it. This choice is reflected in suitable work rhythms, privileged written communication, a very structured organization or on the contrary very free. The corporate model then becomes an extension of the interior operation of the founder.
In Toulouse, Claire Delhom, dyslexic entrepreneur, created a visual content agency where communication goes priority through the image and not through e-mails or long texts. “I didn’t see why I had to get into a mold. So I created mine.” This type of initiative shows that inclusion can also arise from individual experimentation, before spreading on a collective scale.
Make your neuroatypia a strategic posture
Several experts are starting to consider neurodivergence as a competitive advantage. A spirit that does not work like the others is also a spirit that sees what others do not see. In an economy saturated with standards and formats, this originality can result in an ability to detect weak signals, create unexpected products or approach problems from a radically new angle.
The challenge, for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, will be to integrate this diversity without trying to smooth it. This presupposes adapted training, more flexible funding, individualized support. Because behind each neuroatypic entrepreneur, there is often an under-exploited potential … for lack of a frame that allows it to be fully released.
Transforming difference into innovation force
Entering with a different neurological functioning is not an obstacle: it is another way of doing, thinking, succeeding. Provided you dare to know each other, lay your own limits and surround yourself with good relays. Far from being marginal, this approach could well represent the future of more diverse, more inclusive – and above all more daring entrepreneurship.
Because cognitive singularity, when assumed and structured, becomes a rare richness. And it may be where the next wave of innovation is housed.
