I've heard several people complain about AI (LLMs) and say it's killed the joy of programming, and that they are just delegating tasks and reviewing changes. I get it; at some point, I did enjoy what LLMs have taken away, and sometimes I miss it too.

I felt more productive once I got the idea of how to use some of these things and could focus on different, more design or high-level problems (doesn't mean I like the tools, but I liked the results). I started to get dopamine rushes from being able to deliver faster, but that just lasted for a few months.

What I absolutely HATE is how these things have increased expectations. My boss is like, "Oh well, you've solved this in half of the time, here's 10X more work". This has resulted in more project assignments, more meetings to discuss requirements, and more f**king context switching. I talked with my doctor, and we decided to increase the methylphenidate dose to allow me to deal with this context switching.

Using some of these things allowed me to get a promotion (money is good, I guess), but I'm tired and burning out.

I'm planning to build a device similar to brick which lets you freeze your phone & boost your productivity. What are the chances it'll be successful? Any advices on how I can make it better.

The hardest part of my morning was never waking up. It's the first move. I can snooze any alarm in my sleep and then lie there for an hour.

So I built one with no off button. You record a real sound you can only make by getting up (I use my pill bottle; a toothbrush or coffee grinder work too), and it won't stop until the phone hears you make that exact sound. Shutting it up means you already did the first thing.

The part that was fun to build: it matches the character of your specific sound, not a melody or a word you could fake from bed. When you enroll, it runs your sound through YAMNet on-device, then trains a tiny logistic classifier right there on the phone from your sound versus the alarm's own sound, with a voice veto so talking or the TV can't fool it. Nothing leaves the device. No account, no network.

One alarm is free, more are a one-time unlock, and there is no subscription and no ads.

Full writeup of how and why I built it: https://savecharlie.github.io/rattle/story.html It's in closed testing if you want to run it in the mornings: https://groups.google.com/g/jolt-testers

Hi everyone,

So I'm guessing it's pretty common for some here - I started projects and then lost the passion once the product is live and the real work of grinding and bug fixing and marketing are required.

Has anyone found good strategies to motivate ourselves to continue on the boring but important work that will bring the projects to the next level?

Edit: I think a lot of times I stopped on the old projects because I moved my focus to the new projects even though cognitively I know that the old projects really need me to spend more efforts

Thanks

This week I've been keenly aware of a pattern I want to disrupt where I browse Reddit and other attention sinks in the small gaps created by cycles of agentic plan-and-implement. What I'm doing instead is to stand up from my desk and glance around for any small acts of clean-up I could carry out in my house. Dishes on the sink instead of the dishwasher? Let's put those in and see if the agent is still working. Cat litter needs changing? Let's do that.

Your mileage may vary if your medication and sleep aren't already sorted, but for me it gives me something calmer and with light movement instead of doom-scrolling.

I am also aware of the irony of using one such gap to share this post instead of doing one more micro-cleanup, but just trust me that this detour comes after many acts of house care ;)

I've just realized that I don't enjoy working as a software engineer. I enjoy certain aspects of programming, but the stale steralized business requirements of modern SWE are just exhausting. Also, the culture.

It might not look it from this post, but I enjoy writing, creating and learning. I enjoy knowlege work. The only reason I wont do manual labour is because of my social anxiety and ADHD. I simply don't think I can work in a heavily supervised or customer facing environment.

Does anyone have any advice on what I could potentially pivot to (besides document/tech writing)?

I've been thinking about going the entrepreneurial route (for yeaarrrs) but I have bills and debts to pay.

I have ADHD and autism and have worked as a software developer for about ten years, but I am still not considered senior due to soft skills, take lead to put vague requirements into a concrete product, scout opportunities, ....

My employer has a detailed career matrix, and many expectations above my level—communication, leadership, influence, ambiguity—feel almost opposite to how my brain works. Even with coaching, I struggle to turn vague career advice into concrete actions.

I am looking for someone with ADHD AND autism who became a senior, lead, staff engineer, or architect despite similar struggles. So I can proof all my therapists wrong.

I can name 10 people that tell me its impossible for me, but I can't name 1 that encourages me that there is a way.

PS: It's inspirational to know that also the GOATS of our craft have their own bagage, and there will be exponential people in every profession. To make it sound achievable, I want to focus on your average Joe. I'm not seeking extraordinary achievement.

I'm not solving problems anymore. I just sit here reviewing robot PRS. It's miserable, I'm just sat here watching Claude do all the thinking.

I know that many programmers are on the ADHD-segueing into autism spectrum, and the ways their condition can be an advantage at work. But as a job-seeker, I'm more interested in how to use that to your advantage in job interviews, and gain you a preference over neurotypical interviewers. I've usually had the impression that interview processes always have a NT bias, but maybe it's just pessimist doomer talk.

So I want to hear from other AuDHD people especially the non medicated ones, on leveraging this as a strength when you're being interviewed. The jobs have so far been a piece of cake compared to the hiring process. If I could nail this part down, I feel like I'd be unstoppable. Can we have "superpowers" for finding work, too?

Just a FYI, because so many people are posting their "ADHD apps" here. Claiming that your app solves ADHD related issues and targeting support communities, especially without proof is a good way to get an app and the associated developer account banned if someone reports you.

Both the AppStore and the Play store have such policies. And there are a lot of people in ADHD related subreddits who are VERY tired of the spam. 😼

Why do so many productivity apps fail people with ADHD? I’m genuinely curious because it seems like there’s no shortage of apps promising to help with focus, organization, and motivation, yet many people still struggle to stick with them. If you’ve tried any, what made you stop using them? Was it too complicated, too overwhelming, not engaging enough, or something else? I’d really love to hear your honest experiences and what an ideal app would look like for you.

Beginary is built around one specific ADHD problem: not planning, not remembering but starting. You know what you need to do. It's on your calendar. And you still can't make yourself begin.

Every task app I've tried treats a single notification as the finish line — it fires once, and whether you actually start the task is your problem now. Beginary doesn't stop there. When you miss a scheduled task, it keeps stepping back in with Lock Screen widget, Live Activity, and an actual Alarm until you either start it or dismiss it. No streaks, no shame copy, no guilt mechanics. It's an intervention layer for the moment right after you've already ignored the reminder.

What I need from testers:

• iPhone on iOS 26+
• Willing to actually run it against real tasks for 1–2 weeks, not a one-time poke-around
• Feedback specifically on: does the task-initiation nudging actually get you moving, or does it just feel like more noise? Also: onboarding clarity and how good the AI's task breakdown feels.

https://testflight.apple.com/join/z3SGtAeD

Reporting bugs/feedback: TestFlight's built-in feedback (screenshot → "Send Beta Feedback," or shake your phone) for anything technical it auto-attaches logs/device info. For longer-form UX thoughts, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])  I read every one myself.

Hi All,

I've been struggling with decision and task paralysis myself; it has affected me in ways I can't express; I explored lot of apps which may potentially help me with this; I've poured my heart out to all the AI chats we have.

I was impacted by a recent layoff, I was tired of preparing for interviews, trying to get prepared for roles I know to a certain degree would be automated completely by AI tools. With tens of other things demanding my attention, I kept struggling to maintain continuity between juggling these responsibilities, everything seemed to demand my attention;

Eventually I decided to take control, with the advent of vibe coding, I wanted to see if I could come up with a solution which is tailor made for me, glad to report I am on the verge of completion.

Check out this demo and tell me if this would help you : https://sortedqueue.com/intent-demo.html 🙏

Disclaimer: this is an indipendent research, not affiliated to any commercial product or marketing research.

Hi everyone, sharing this with permission from the mods.
I'm a UX/UI designer and developer working on independent research, not a psychologist or clinician - just want that clear upfront. I relate to ADHD traits myself, though I don't have a formal diagnosis.
I'm trying to understand two things: what it's like to know exactly what you need to do but not be able to start, and what happens when things pile up and suddenly feel overwhelming.
The survey is anonymous, no email or identifying info collected, ~7-10 minutes. Not tied to any product or company.
https://forms.gle/vTXxDkRZvtbQH8wh6
Thank you to anyone willing to share, and thanks to the mods for allowing this.

hey ya'all i am excited about today's game, i feel like being stuck at coding always drains me as i have adhd myself.

who're you supporting btw?

Hello Everyone. I am a software developer and I want to champion the idea of Calm Technology. The concept of building software the doesn't drain your mental health by trying to keep you in an infinite loop, but instead offers a singular purpose, and is designed to be closed.

I'm just looking to start any conversations around this idea.

-App concepts and UX design

-Building in public

-Market research / potential for anti engagement software

-Research on current apps and how they affect our mental health

I really believe as software devs, we can help shape the future tech landscape for good, and I'd love to be a part of that. Cheers.

So I've been trying to learn to code for over a year now. And the gap from my understanding of a concept to applying it is in the damn toilet. I can understand perfectly but if I have to incorporate a concept and slightly tweak it, it causes severe fog or headaches. The ADHD medication I've been taking has given me nothing but migraines and no signs of real improvement. Even with a reference sheet, when I have to use boilerplate the constant switching back and forth gives me intense headaches and it makes me a fraud. Maybe this is a sign coding isn't for me, even when I want it to be. Any advice on optimizing memory or how to proceed as a programmer is greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone, hope all is well.

WARNING: Long Post

So, Ive been programming by myself on my room for as long as I can remember. And one BIG struggle that I have is consistency.

Im trying to force myself into a routine of writing code everyday so that I can learn better, but I every time I open up my IDE to work on a current project, my mind just goes blank.

I feel an intense imposter syndrome, like I dont know what Im doing, if Im doing the right thing, if Im going in the right direction, if Im being too slow, on most days, I dont even know the code Im supposed to write.

I do know HOW to code, its just that doing it feels like such an intense mental workload.

My Audhd flares up every time there's ambiguity with a project, like an error that I dont understand, which is almost all the time. And its gotten to a point where I have these internal shut downs once or twice a week where I lay in bed, paralyzed in thought.

"What do I do? I dont understand this logic."

"Do I ask Claude? Im supposed to use my own mind"

"Maybe I should try googling it again?"

But yeah, TLDR: I want to figure out a feedback loop that I can setup that will motivate me to code everyday. If there's one that you use, please tell me.

Really struggling out here. 😓

Hello.

Tldr: mech E turned gamedev/programmer, need stable work before September, trying to find out my path.

This post is a bit of rant/cry for help type of thing so apologies if it impacts your mood, I know we get emotional over random shit and honestly if that's you then I would stop reading. I'm not in a good place in life and I'm trying to get myself to stop running in circles. I'm a male in my 30s. I need some guidance from people that have managed to get their ADHD under control.

First off I'm a self taught programmer with a mech engineering degree, my capstone work was in computational thermodynamics so I'm not entirely dumb, just partially fucking retarded, with a fried memory and a history of failed ventures/self launched businesses.

I LOVE problem solving, but where I am that isn't rewarded because marketing wins and I am an asshole and I suck at trying to study how to market myself, that and I am fundamentally depressed, I am functional to some degree but at this point in life I just want a stable gig so I can be able to read a book in peace without feeling guilty that "I'm not trying to make money" which is my intrusive thoughts 24/7.

Plus I've lacked modern world guidance, my dad is a retired accountant whose advice works for his era, my mother is an English teacher who helped me become the man that I am today, despite all of my shortcomings, but still, a teacher wouldn't have contact so much with the tech world so her guidance has been mostly trying to support me overcome my severe imposter syndrome.

Ever since I graduated my life's been a whirlwind of trying to get stable work vs trying to feel competent vs trying to provide for my family and being supportive of my siblings in a household that's well educated but knee deep in poverty/health/mental health/infighting issues.

I quit my first job (mechanical QA stuff) because I wouldn't sign off on something that wasn't up to standard/spec and I was threatened to be let go so I resigned on the spot. I can't really talk much about it. You guys understand I'm sure.

I never got into engineering work as a career because I kept thinking if I fuck up I'll hurt someone or many people. My field specifically focused on manufacturing, so steel production/fabrication/structural material manufacturing and all of that included.
This is fundamentally an idea in my mind that has been constant throughout the years which is why I basically shifted from mechanical work to gamedev stuff where if I fuck something up a cartoon or a game gets delayed, not people getting into harm's way.

As you can see, this had the problem of the lack of foresight.

Ever since then I've tried to get my own gigs off the ground and failed to do so because A) ADHD went undiagnosed for ages. B) Kept taking small time jobs for income so my job experience/history is fundamentally an incoherent mess that doesn't have an accumulation effect. And C) I thrive in an RnD/PoC environment where I'm asked to whip stuff out on the fly is what I'm good at, where it's automation or some kind of design which really aligns with my ADHD but it's also a hyperfocus thing so when I figure out the main technical challenge, it stops being uh fun?

And I sort of lose interest. Of course I finish things if I'm getting paid but you guys can see how "prototyper" isn't exactly a valid career path with what little experience I have.

But, I am fundamentally skilled at being what's known as a technical artist in game development (almost two years of experience with places in Europe and LA, and those dried out) + a few years freelancing but the competition is brutal, work is very little, and I am terrible at marketing myself or doing lead generation and whatnot.

Also, polishing work which is needed for this thing is a grueling aspect of it, and we don't have hubs here so remote work is all I can do and that's fundamentally why I'm poor.

The last two years of my life have been a turning point, I managed to get diagnosed twice, my first therapist had his head up his butt and when I told him about memory problems he suggested a notebook, at which I told him "I forget I have a notebook" and he just ignored what I said. Object permanence is a bitch.

I also for some reason am able to regulate myself and control my actions without meds much better after some intense introspection last October, but with the way things are going, I'm starting to lose momentum that I have had for some personal project that I wanted to publish.

I have stacks of notebooks that I forget I have even, and the one I currently write things on to help solidify ideas in my head as memories is something I constantly forget I have.

I've switched to writing things in obsidian, like a journal, but I remember to do that (and only have the will power to do that within the first three hours of getting my prescribed Ritalin 20mg, which is of terrible quality, and is now giving me fucking jitters and anxiety and nausea).

I've lived about 15 years in a pretty brutal place in the world so anxiety wasn't something so much on the radar up until three weeks ago when I noticed my Ritalin was making me more aware of it. Mainly because I'm desensitized and traumatized af.

I've been trying to find proper stable work for a while now. With the advent of AI, I am able to architect and design some pretty okay stuff with minimal friction for maintainability and code quality, I also read and review about 85% of the code the AI makes myself and write fixes myself. But again, I don't know how useful this shit is in a large scale production.

I HAVE managed to make some of my own forks in some FOSS software that I use, and I even sold a feature fork to someone, so I'm not entirely useless.

But the idea remains: I want to pivot to something stable, but I don't fucking know how. I'm constantly reevaluating my path, constantly skeptical of my decisions, constantly redirecting myself.

I've been thinking about traditional software work, but I know for sure I would absolutely fucking fail DSA interviews, I'm not traditionally trained, I know how to look things up and build them, I know how to think about software and patterns and making things function well.

But the last time I tried to sit my ass down and learn it well I did about a week of it and then forgot I was even doing that.

Any advice is highly appreciate.

I'm building an AI tool and I'm curious how bad everyone else's browser has gotten. Mine's a mess. Between grinding leetcode, applying to jobs, and having three or four AI tabs open at once (one for post drafts, one for application questions, one I forgot why I opened), I've basically stopped counting.

But that's just the browser. What about everything else you've got running? Does yours keep stacking too, or have you figured out something I haven't?

Hello all!

We reached out to this sub once before and the response was amazing. Thank you guys for all of the support. We're still looking for a lot of participants, so if you have yet to take this study, and you have some time to spare, it would mean so much for the team.

My name is Kiana Gillings McArthur. I work as a research assistant in the DDMH Lab @ York University in Toronto, Canada.

We're currently conducting a study on dissociation in neurodivergent adults, primarily in adults with autism, ADHD, or both! To our current knowledge, this will be the first formalized study directly looking at dissociation in both autistic, adhd, and 'audhd' adults -- a really big milestone for the field.

This study aims to explore the relationship between all of the following:

• ADHD & autism traits;
• Sensory processing & emotion regulation;
• Restrictive & repetitive behaviours;
• Dissociation symptoms, including maladaptive daydreaming²

Our study is ethics-approved¹ and uses a variety of standardized, validated questionnaires to measure what's listed above.

Important information!

• Participation is completely anonymous!
• The survey is roughly 30 minutes, completed online. 
• We accept adult (18+) participants both with a diagnosis and without. If you self-identify as neurodivergent, you qualify!
• You do not need to experience dissociation to participate.
• We don't post the survey link outright simply to avoid spam and non-responders.
• You may share the link with colleagues, friends, or family members who you think would be interested!

If you're interested, you can:

1. Email the supervisor for this study, Dr. Panetta, at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) (preferred option; check the comments for an email template)
2. Send a DM directly to us!³

Notes

1. This study has been approved by York University's Office of Research Ethics (ORE) Human Participants Review Committee (certificate # e2026-003). 
2. Maladaptive daydreaming is a newly proposed dissociative disorder that involves vivid, uncontrollable daydreaming.
3. Please note that if we don’t get back to you right away on Reddit, it’s because of DM limits.