Are you an entrepreneur, or an intrapreneur?

It's very common for ADHDers to become entrepreneurs, in fact we are 3x more likely to start our own businesses compared to the general population.

From time to time I come across a concept that I think about for weeks...and so I was fascinated to hear the term 'intrapreneur' in relation to ADHDers.

Entrepreneur vs intrapreneur

An entrepreneur is someone who creates and owns business, taking on all the rewards and risks that come with it.

An intrapreneur is an individual with entrepreneurial talents, who uses their skills within an existing organisation that they do not own.

If the role they are in allows them enough freedom to take an idea and run with it — they can solve problems, and invent entire systems without having to worry about finding clients, paying themselves, doing their tax return or wondering whether this month's income will cover the mortgage.

And for some ADHDers, that might actually be better suited to them.

ADHD's natural entrepreneurial instincts

Forbes estimates that up to 29% to 35% of all entrepreneurs exhibit ADHD traits, compared to roughly 4% of the general adult population. Isn't that fascinating..? And yet also instantly recognisable.

Here are some obvious reasons why entrepreneurship appeals to us ADHDers:

You can have more autonomy.

You can pursue ideas that interest you, without having to get them approved.

You get to build ALL OF THE THINGS.

You can solve problems creatively.

You can potentially structure your work around how your brain actually functions, rather than trying to squeeze yourself into somebody else's system.

But there's also a less cheerful side to entrepreneurship that we don't talk about quite as enthusiastically.

Running a business also requires a LOT of executive functioning. Or ridiculously great systems, which take executive functioning to design.

Admin. Invoicing. Planning. Following up. Marketing. Bookkeeping. Prioritising. Doing boring things repeatedly when absolutely nobody is making you do them.

There can also be financial uncertainty, isolation and an enormous amount of responsibility.

So I've been wondering whether some ADHDers who feel deeply unsuited to traditional employment aren't necessarily destined to become entrepreneurs.

They might be intrapreneurs stuck in jobs that don't give them enough room to be intrapreneurial.