Paige Watson - Focus, Flow, and Cold Coffee

ADHD can feel like chaos — a mind racing with ideas, a desk full of cold, half-drunk coffee cups, and a to-do list that’s both overwhelming and strangely invisible. For years, I struggled to stay afloat as a developer, battling hyper-focus, memory issues, and constant distraction. Then I discovered something surprising: the practices that help teams write better code — like Test-Driven Development (TDD), Collaborative Programming, and Discovery Trees — also helped me work with my brain, not against it.
In this talk, I share how ADHD shaped my journey as a developer and how quality coding practices became career-saving coping mechanisms. These tools helped me focus, manage complexity, and collaborate better — all while reducing burnout and improving the code we shipped. Whether you live with ADHD or just want to work smarter in a world full of distractions, you’ll walk away with practical techniques and a fresh appreciation for how neurodiversity can be a powerful asset in tech.

About the Speaker:
Paige recognizes the importance of embracing 'Quality Software as Craft' principles.
Crafting software is a multifaceted challenge that demands exceptional talent to address not only problem-solving but also to ensure the software is designed for ease of maintenance and future growth. His experience includes guiding numerous teams in developing well-crafted software solutions and evolving their processes to become high-performing, scalable units.
He is dedicated to elevating developers into cohesive, high-performing teams capable of swiftly delivering top-tier software that meets the evolving needs of clients.
He is also an active speaker and educator, conducting workshops at various global corporations to share insights and strategies for excellence in software development.

Zoom meeting opens around 9:30 AM PT
Zoom Presentation starts at 10:00 AM PT