{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks ","title":"Dyslexia + Parenting + CEO Pressure: James Stewart on Fatherhood & Founder Life – Ep 126","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3011,"description":"What happens when a dyslexic engineer enters venture capital, climate tech, and leadership? In Ep 126, James Stewart shares how neurodiversity shaped his education, career, parenting, and his work at Always Carbon.James Stewart is a UK chartered mechanical engineer (Cambridge), MBA holder, angel investor, venture partner at Loyal VC, and CEO/co-founder of Always Carbon, a company focused on carbon removal using biochar.Episode Highlights:00:02:04 — Diagnosed dyslexic at six James shares he was diagnosed with dyslexia early, and how it shaped both his educational and professional life. His relationship with dyslexia has changed significantly in recent years, especially in how he now views it as something to build with rather than “fix.”00:03:30 — Swimming saved his confidence A teacher threatened to stop him from going swimming because he struggled in school. That moment helped his parents realize something deeper was happening, and it became the turning point that led to assessment and support.00:07:30 — Cambridge wasn’t neurodiverse-friendly He describes Cambridge in the 2000s as not welcoming for neurodiverse students, despite the prestige. But he credits support systems and learning how to study in ways that worked for his brain as what carried him through.00:10:00 — Neurodiversity drives progress James argues neurodiverse thinkers bring huge value by challenging the status quo and solving problems differently. He frames it as a feature of human evolution: society advances because some people are wired to think outside the “normal” system.00:11:12 — Visual thinking in engineering He strongly agrees dyslexic thinkers often excel in spatial reasoning and 3D thinking, which fits engineering naturally. His approach is visual: diagrams and mind maps beat long documents because they surface structure and meaning faster.00:15:00 — Always Carbon and biochar explained James breaks down biochar simply: plants pull CO2 from the air, and converting plant waste into stable...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/QZFZQrtBSDhon7MItX8a5mQvkXQ5KKmI2fe6dyhM72o/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMzNDE3LzE2NjEw/NjYyOTYtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}