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Struggling with autism in a slow lane lifestyle

almondair

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Hi all,

I hope everyone is keeping well.

I just wanted to introduce myself as Rubin, mainly to say hi but also to reach out and find out if any other users here have ever struggled with the above and how hard it is to fit into society.

Currently I am working in a slow lane job (accounting field) however I constantly struggle with social interactions etc and also if other people are messing up things it really gets to me. Just trying to find out if anyone knows of any good fast lane business models to pursue that would be suitable for someone with autism...I really need something where I can work on it myself mainly.

It probably sounds trivial but hoping someone can relate :)

Rubin
 
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TonyStark

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Hey Ruben!

I wouldn't know what it's like having autism but from my limited perspective of watching autistic people on YouTube and forums, they seem like very smart people.

Maybe you can find a way to get in touch with other autistic entrepreneurs like yourself and see where it goes from there?
 

Jon L

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Welcome, Rubin!

I don't have any advice for you, but I do have a new client that is on the spectrum. He runs a successful company. It can be done. He is an exceedingly good engineer and has used that ability to become successful.

What are you exceedingly good at?
 

almondair

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Hey Ruben!

I wouldn't know what it's like having autism but from my limited perspective of watching autistic people on YouTube and forums, they seem like very smart people.

Maybe you can find a way to get in touch with other autistic entrepreneurs like yourself and see where it goes from there?
Thanks TonyStark I will actually have a look online under that term and see if I can find anything along those lines! Thanks for the reply and good to receive such a rapid welcome to the site
 
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almondair

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Oct 12, 2020
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Welcome, Rubin!

I don't have any advice for you, but I do have a new client that is on the spectrum. He runs a successful company. It can be done. He is an exceedingly good engineer and has used that ability to become successful.

What are you exceedingly good at?
Thank you for the information Jon L.

I am pretty adaptable in that once I have an interest in something I become very obsessed by it and will simply focus on that one thing for most of my time. As a result I was hoping to find some suitable businesses for someone like me that I can start researching...however I know I wouldn't be able to do something engineering related due to the years of knowledge I would need to gain before I could even begin....realistically I am probably looking at something in the 3-5 year timeframe
 

Jon L

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Thank you for the information Jon L.

I am pretty adaptable in that once I have an interest in something I become very obsessed by it and will simply focus on that one thing for most of my time. As a result I was hoping to find some suitable businesses for someone like me that I can start researching...however I know I wouldn't be able to do something engineering related due to the years of knowledge I would need to gain before I could even begin....realistically I am probably looking at something in the 3-5 year timeframe
how about accounting? Certain aspects of accounting (forensic accounting, auditing, for example) need an obsessive style of work, and can pay quite well on a consulting basis. If you end up being able to bill $500/hr, that's pretty fastlane...
 

almondair

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Oct 12, 2020
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how about accounting? Certain aspects of accounting (forensic accounting, auditing, for example) need an obsessive style of work, and can pay quite well on a consulting basis.
That is currently what I am doing...I have been doing it for 5 years now and it is becoming stale I guess plus its going nowhere really since I am stuck with the entire work X hours get paid X hours
 
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Jon L

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That is currently what I am doing...I have been doing it for 5 years now and it is becoming stale I guess plus its going nowhere really since I am stuck with the entire work X hours get paid X hours
x hours at $500 an hour adds up quickly.
 

Jemmalee

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Howdy
I’m a spectrum entrepreneur- totally just made that up.
My brother has autism and myself, an amazing class of ADHD, if I don’t mind saying myself

The world is YOUR oyster friend.

I hate people generally so you’re not alone

It’s not ‘hate’ - maybe too harsh. I have no patience to get to grips with the levels of slow laners and non creative persons.

People in my life have spurs of energy and no ‘negative bull crap’.
I make majority of my income from my sofa running online retail at the minute as my events business is currently still locked down until April 2021 (good old UK).

Something that you have knowledge in might be stuff that keeps us wired brains busy.

Maybe have a delve into reselling some fidget toys or spectrum activities.

You could set up a local community group for other Autistic adults to feed from their enthusiasm or rapidly changing interests.

Me - I have been and done EVERYTHING, tried a job in every sector, every government body, opened a business in many many different topics - and I’m 37. I only just found my thing and that turns out I’m not overly interested- it’s not a passion, it’s a business that I enjoy growing and it’s making me profit.

Make sure you’ve read both @MJ DeMarco books.
I’m still grabbing another Audible free month trial with yet another email account to listen again - as I lost my old login, how ‘typical’ of my brain eh?

So, get googling, have a look at online Shopify stores and products and what’s around you.

Accountancy is probably the worst job I could ever endeavour to be in, for my creative streak surpasses me.

Hope this helps
Jemma
 

Mutant

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Hey Rubin (awesome name!)

Welcome! I'm not on the spectrum, but I have some familiarity. I also can at least sympathise with loving order, planning, spreadsheets, a fully reconciled account with all the receipts in place, & the pain of working with people who have no appreciation of any details.


The good news - businesses are systems! The more you can codify, automate, & optimise, the better run it'll be.

The bad news - businesses need customers. Even if you find something you can do entirely yourself, there will still be an element of human interaction.​


Here's some of the thought processes I would have about this.

Businesses can either sell a product or a service. In order to scale a service company (such as accounting!) & go fastlane, that'd probably involve either employees or contractors whose time you could leverage. I might therefore be drawn more to products, or products you can sell as a service (such as Software As A Service).

Given I'm going to have to interact with some people, I'd have a think about the kind of people I find easiest to deal with. This works both for thinking about potential employees (such as hiring accountants for an accounting firm, or software engineers for a software firm, vs creatives for an ad agency, or retail assistant jobs at a store) but also, & most keenly, for the kind of customers you'd want to have. Not just B2B or B2C, but you could find a group that perhaps share an interest with you (such as photographers who geek out on the equipment, or people who value alone time) & then look for what problems they have & work out how you could solve them.

I'd also consider ways of minimising dealing with people, such as ecommerce, & outsourcing customer service. There's not just hiring or contracting individual customer service agents, you can, for example, use an agency that will work with you to draw up a system for your customer support, & then will train their own staff on it & provide that for you. It comes at a price, but it's also feels delightfully hands off. Draw up system. Let it run. Lovely.

This brings me to fireable people (& service providers as per the example above!) I know someone who once co-founded a business where they ran the whole back end doing of the thing (totally his wheelhouse), whilst his co-founder went out to do all the sales (not his wheelhouse at all - eurgh - people). The problem was the co-founder wasn't closing much, & he couldn't fire him & hire someone better. He said he'd never have a co-founder again. Make sure you have fireable people, then if they muck up too much, you don't have to put up with them. I'm also gonna remind you that you can fire customers also.


Hope at least some of that helps!
 
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almondair

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Oct 12, 2020
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4
Howdy
I’m a spectrum entrepreneur- totally just made that up.
My brother has autism and myself, an amazing class of ADHD, if I don’t mind saying myself

The world is YOUR oyster friend.

I hate people generally so you’re not alone

It’s not ‘hate’ - maybe too harsh. I have no patience to get to grips with the levels of slow laners and non creative persons.

People in my life have spurs of energy and no ‘negative bull crap’.
I make majority of my income from my sofa running online retail at the minute as my events business is currently still locked down until April 2021 (good old UK).

Something that you have knowledge in might be stuff that keeps us wired brains busy.

Maybe have a delve into reselling some fidget toys or spectrum activities.

You could set up a local community group for other Autistic adults to feed from their enthusiasm or rapidly changing interests.

Me - I have been and done EVERYTHING, tried a job in every sector, every government body, opened a business in many many different topics - and I’m 37. I only just found my thing and that turns out I’m not overly interested- it’s not a passion, it’s a business that I enjoy growing and it’s making me profit.

Make sure you’ve read both @MJ DeMarco books.
I’m still grabbing another Audible free month trial with yet another email account to listen again - as I lost my old login, how ‘typical’ of my brain eh?

So, get googling, have a look at online Shopify stores and products and what’s around you.

Accountancy is probably the worst job I could ever endeavour to be in, for my creative streak surpasses me.

Hope this helps
Jemma
Hi Jemma,
Great to meet you and thanks for the amazing reply!
I am actually going to research your idea re spectrum activities it sounds interesting even if just to connect with more people.
Also thanks for the tip re audible I will get on that right away aswell!
I will see how the research goes and might start a blog just for myself to track my progress so I can obsessively focus on it :)
 

almondair

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
57%
Oct 12, 2020
7
4
Hey Rubin (awesome name!)

Welcome! I'm not on the spectrum, but I have some familiarity. I also can at least sympathise with loving order, planning, spreadsheets, a fully reconciled account with all the receipts in place, & the pain of working with people who have no appreciation of any details.


The good news - businesses are systems! The more you can codify, automate, & optimise, the better run it'll be.

The bad news - businesses need customers. Even if you find something you can do entirely yourself, there will still be an element of human interaction.​


Here's some of the thought processes I would have about this.

Businesses can either sell a product or a service. In order to scale a service company (such as accounting!) & go fastlane, that'd probably involve either employees or contractors whose time you could leverage. I might therefore be drawn more to products, or products you can sell as a service (such as Software As A Service).

Given I'm going to have to interact with some people, I'd have a think about the kind of people I find easiest to deal with. This works both for thinking about potential employees (such as hiring accountants for an accounting firm, or software engineers for a software firm, vs creatives for an ad agency, or retail assistant jobs at a store) but also, & most keenly, for the kind of customers you'd want to have. Not just B2B or B2C, but you could find a group that perhaps share an interest with you (such as photographers who geek out on the equipment, or people who value alone time) & then look for what problems they have & work out how you could solve them.

I'd also consider ways of minimising dealing with people, such as ecommerce, & outsourcing customer service. There's not just hiring or contracting individual customer service agents, you can, for example, use an agency that will work with you to draw up a system for your customer support, & then will train their own staff on it & provide that for you. It comes at a price, but it's also feels delightfully hands off. Draw up system. Let it run. Lovely.

This brings me to fireable people (& service providers as per the example above!) I know someone who once co-founded a business where they ran the whole back end doing of the thing (totally his wheelhouse), whilst his co-founder went out to do all the sales (not his wheelhouse at all - eurgh - people). The problem was the co-founder wasn't closing much, & he couldn't fire him & hire someone better. He said he'd never have a co-founder again. Make sure you have fireable people, then if they muck up too much, you don't have to put up with them. I'm also gonna remind you that you can fire customers also.


Hope at least some of that helps!
Hi Mutant,
Thanks for the reply!
Just from reading the reply it sounds like you already think the way I do or at least on a similar wavelength!

I have no problem communicating with people one on one or through email etc it’s only once they start getting involved and messing things up or having to work with a “team” of 5 people that things start getting hairy hence why I was leaning more towards the product idea and not necessarily the service ones but I received a good tip in a previous reply so I am beginning my research now.
Thanks again
 
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