Focus, Flow, and Cold Coffee

Focus, Flow, and Cold Coffee - ADHD-Driven Development Practices  

ADHD can feel like chaos — a mind racing with ideas, a desk full of cold, half-drunk coffee cups, and a to-do list that’s both overwhelming and strangely invisible. For years, I struggled to stay afloat as a developer, battling hyper-focus, memory issues, and constant distraction. Then I discovered something surprising: the practices that help teams write better code — like Test-Driven Development (TDD), Collaborative Programming, and Discovery Trees — also helped me work with my brain, not against it.

In this talk, I share how ADHD shaped my journey as a developer and how quality coding practices became career-saving coping mechanisms. These tools helped me focus, manage complexity, and collaborate better — all while reducing burnout and improving the code we shipped. Whether you live with ADHD or just want to work smarter in a world full of distractions, you’ll walk away with practical techniques and a fresh appreciation for how neurodiversity can be a powerful asset in tech.

Learning Outcomes  

Presentation Dates  

Resources  

Slides  - updated 2025-05-28

Links  

Books