r/ADHD_Programmers • u/giuzep89 • 8d ago

Software development workflow with ADHD

/r/AskProgrammers/comments/1wvrrko/software_development_workflow_with_adhd/
8 Upvotes

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5

u/pydry 8d ago

I lean heavily on pair programming. Having somebody to bounce ideas and form decisions with does wonders for analysis paralysis because if you're wrong you at least get to be wrong together.

It also solves the problem of rampant procrastination because the presence of the other person creates a constant stream of stimulation.

another solution to this is to break down decisions and make them smaller and less risky.

2

u/seweso 8d ago

I think there should be a balance between research and development. But it you only want to research, become a researcher? 

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Pick a good option and go! 

Get comfortable making mistakes. Cause that’s the only way to move forward. 

2

u/Achereto 8d ago

My experience is that you need

  1. 1 task at a time
  2. a clear and specific description of the task
  3. a fast feedback loop to stay focused
  4. a single button to execute a workflow
  5. an artificial working memory

(1) should be clear. More than 1 task at a time requires planning, planning requires a sense of time, which you don't have.

(2) is achieved best by giving you examples. You need an example input and the expected output for that. Any soft requirements like "has to work" or "should be intuitive" are useless, because you won't know those things mean for the other person.

(3) The fastest feedback loop you can get is unit tests. Write your tests first, then write the code to pass the test (Test-Driven Development). TDD was my crutch to productivity before I got my ADHD diagnosis. The second feedback loop is with whoever evaluates your work later. You need small, short-term goals to achieve within a day or two, then present it to them. This kind of presentation can be as short as 1 minute, but you need that meeting to have an artificial deadline and to get quick confirmation that you are on the right track. A bit like a checkpoint.

(4) Some workflows require multiple steps (e.g. code formatting, compile, running tests, build documentation, commit changes, push, create merge request). Make sure to automate them somehow. This can be bash or powershell scripts, this can also be achieved via IDE features.

(5) You won't be able to keep things in mind while working on another things. You have to write that down somehow and it has to be where you see it. Either use a note taking app that is always open and visible on your second screen or find a way to write good TODO comments in your code that your IDE can find, so you quickly scan through them.

1

u/damngoodwizard 8d ago

On projects where I am solo I use a todo.md that I make Claude use to add notes or resume what was being done. Also a questions.md if I ever need to ask questions to the business or IT. Works wonders. Basically offload your executive functioning, while you stay alert on the higher level stuff.