Quick Guide to Working with Jeff

Who Jeff is

Jeff is a 45-year-old AuDHD (Autistic-ADHD) entrepreneur in Philadelphia on a mission to make the world kinder, safer, and more equitable. He has a deep sensitivity to injustice and refuses to accept a world that is unnecessarily cruel or limiting to people’s identities.

At his core, he believes he must continually grow stronger so he can protect himself and others. That shows up as intensity, ambition, and a lifelong obsession with self-improvement and superheroes. He has easy access to anger, and he uses that energy to stand up for himself and others.

He is independent, protective, and inspiring when things are going well. Under stress, he can become controlling, confrontational, and defensive—especially when his values, autonomy, or integrity feel threatened.

His superpowers and kryptonite

He excels at:

• The first 80% of projects
• Strategy, systems, and big-picture thinking
• Pattern recognition and problem-solving
• Brand, storytelling, messaging, and communication
• Leadership, coaching, and helping people grow
• Presentations, public speaking, and sales conversations
• Designing neuroinclusive, efficient ways of working

He struggles with:

• The last 20% of projects
• Attention to detail
• Consistency and follow-through
• Short-term and working memory
• Email response times and repetitive admin tasks
• Following rigid directions or taking orders without input

His biggest blind spots:

• He can be “a lot” to be around—intense, opinionated, and high energy.
• He may move too fast and assume others see what he sees.
• He can be morally rigid and come off as judgmental or superior if values are in conflict.
• He’s “terminally in the present,” which makes long-term planning and pacing difficult.
• His optimism and ambition can outpace reality, leading to overcommitment.

He’s incredibly generous with his time, energy, and belief in people, but that generosity can work against him if it isn’t balanced with limits and realistic capacity.

How to work with Jeff effectively

Communication

• Be direct, honest, and confident.
• Stand up to him when something doesn’t feel right—he respects people who push back in good faith.
• Challenge his ideas instead of shutting them down or avoiding conflict.
• Be casual and authentic rather than formal or stiff.
• Keep stories and explanations focused; avoid endless details without a clear point.
• If you feel unheard, say it directly: for example, “I want to finish this thought,” or “I don’t think you fully heard what I said—can I try again?”

Environment

• He needs control over his workspace: lighting, noise, and temperature matter a lot.
• Sensory-friendly, flexible environments work best.
• Micromanagement, constant surveillance, or rigid office norms are a fast way to lose his focus and trust.
• He needs protected blocks of time for deep work, with minimal interruptions.

Time

• His energy is highly variable and he works best in intense, focused sprints.
• Clear deadlines help; vague “sometime soon” tasks drift.
• He’s a moderate evening type and does his best work later in the day or at night. Early-morning commitments cost more energy.

Roles

• He’s built to lead, not to be a passive executor.
• Give him problems to solve, systems to design, people to support, and missions that actually matter.
• Pair him with detail-oriented collaborators who own the last 20% of execution.

Triggers to avoid

• Injustice or cruelty, especially toward marginalized people
• Condescension or talking down to him
• Attempts to control or manipulate him
• Questioning his integrity or values
• Wasting time with meaningless work or needless bureaucracy
• Interrupting him when he’s in a deep focus state
• High-pressure money conversations without context or care

When he’s stressed

When Jeff is regulated, he’s collaborative, idealistic, caring, and focused on win-win solutions. Under stress, he may:

• Become more analytical and controlling
• Get defensive, angry, or combative
• Shut down or feel stuck and powerless
• Take things personally that he’d normally brush off

How to respond:

• Don’t take his stress personally—his nervous system is overwhelmed.
• Give him space if he seems overloaded; sometimes he just needs a reset.
• Don’t push harder in the moment; wait for a calmer window.
• Focus on clear facts, options, and logic rather than emotional appeals.
• A simple “You seem stressed—anything I can do?” often helps him reset.

What to remember

If you keep three things in mind, you’ll usually be in a good place with Jeff:

1. Respect his autonomy and values. Invite him into decisions; don’t box him in.
2. Use his strengths. Point him at big problems, vision, and people development—not endless admin.
3. Assume good intent and speak plainly. He wants to do the right thing, even if his delivery is intense. Honest, direct conversation is the fastest way back to alignment.