A newsletter by Michael Greenspan
For software engineers with ADHD who are tired of being at war with themselves at work.
A weekly newsletter that explores one real work moment from the inside — without generic tips, hacks, or productivity advice.
“I just need to be more disciplined.”
“The system worked for two weeks. Then it didn’t.”
“Why is the easy part the hard part?”
Michael Greenspan
Seven years as a software engineer. Nine as an engineering manager. Now a coach and writer based in Toronto.
I publish two newsletters. The Complete Engineer is for senior engineers and engineering leaders sitting with the questions that the next promotion won’t answer. The ADHD Engineer is this one — weekly writing for software engineers with ADHD.
What I’ve noticed in conversations: the productivity systems work for two weeks. The accountability partner helps until they don’t. Under enough pressure, the goal gets replaced by “I need to fix myself” — and the actual work doesn’t get done.
The writing here isn’t a five-step program. I don’t have one. It’s an attempt to name what’s actually happening on the inside of a workday with an ADHD brain — carefully enough that you can recognize yourself, and slowly enough that the recognition lands.
The newsletter
One essay a week. No content calendar. No hacks. The kind of writing you can sit with on a Sunday morning, not one more thing to skim before standup.
Other places I write and work
Different doors into the same practice.
The broader coaching practice
Reflective work for senior software engineers and engineering leaders on the questions the next promotion won’t answer.
thecompleteengineer.com → SubstackThe Complete Engineer newsletter
Long-form essays on ambition, identity, self-doubt, and meaning in tech. Sibling publication to this one.
Read on Substack → LinkedInPosts and conversations
Shorter pieces, conversation threads, and the back-and-forth around the work.
Connect on LinkedIn → YouTubeShorts and conversations
Short videos on the patterns I notice in coaching conversations. Reframes in a minute or two.
Watch on YouTube →