Popcorn, Passion, and the ADHD Edge
Zac Chua is the founder of The Kettle Gourmet, a popcorn brand he started as a university student in Singapore Management University (SMU) that has since expanded to 15 countries with 11 brands. Known for bold flavours and standout branding, Zac has turned his ADHD-driven creativity into a global success. An avid traveller, he made 42 trips in 2024 while pursuing his passion for new ideas, adventures, and social impact – all while scaling up his business
Quote
“People with ADHD aren’t broken – we’re wired for innovation, speed, and disruption. We don’t fit into neat boxes because we’re too busy redesigning them.”
“If you meet someone with ADHD, don’t pity them. Back them, bet on them or get out of their way.”
First Awareness and Challenges
At school, I could never pay attention in class for more than 15 minutes. I was always fidgeting and couldn’t sit still. Memorisation helped me get through exams in secondary school, but university was much harder. Long lectures felt impossible, and I’d often lose interest mid-conversation and completely zone out. By the final year of SMU, after going on overseas exchange programs, I knew I couldn’t fit in the system and had to start my own business.
Running a business made my ADHD even clearer. I’d get distracted by Shiny Object Syndrome, chasing new ideas and projects while routine tasks like replying to emails piled up. Hyperfocus helped when I was excited about something, like designing packaging, but it was inconsistent.
I often made quick, impulsive decisions without fully thinking through long-term returns. That left me overcommitted, spreading time and money too thin. Prioritising was tough, everything felt urgent or interesting. Projects sometimes stayed 70% done until pressure pushed me to finish.
Over time, I learned that simplicity works best. Clear structures, visual systems, and delegation keep me grounded. Doing the right things matters more than trying to do everything. My best moves always came from trusting others and building a strong team.
Life Today
Since post-covid, I found my passion for travelling – and since then I’ve been on a “revenge travel” spree. In 2023 I started flying to new cities to immerse myself and in 2024, I travelled 42 times, living out my passion. Since hiring a CEO to run the companies, I’ve been able to focus on what excites me most: new adventures, building ideas with close friends, and supporting causes like orphanages in Indonesia. It is also because of this ADHD “get bored quick symptom” that I force myself to explore and discover a new city each time, creating a very wholesome experience. I’m also happily single and enjoying the freedom to explore life on my own terms.
Working with My ADHD
To manage distractions, I use two phones – one for serious work and another for TikTok and IG. I often jot down ideas while reading so I can revisit them later. I do some of my best work on planes, where there are no distractions. I even created a “Plane Work” folder in my cloud, filled with tasks I save specifically for flights. I’m also lucky enough to have various mentors in my different aspect of life and they help a lot with accountability.
ADHD as Fuel
My proudest achievement is building The Kettle Gourmet into a nationwide and international brand. I had no FMCG background, but ADHD gave me speed, creativity, and boldness to make it happen.
My brain fires off rapid ideas – flavours, packaging, marketing. When I hyperfocus, I can execute overnight what others take weeks to do. Rejection hits harder, but it fuels me to double down. ADHD also helps me spot patterns and trends that others miss, letting me move ahead of the curve. I am also lucky enough to have a very strong support team focusing on executing my ideas.
I crave novelty and following that curiosity has taken me around the world, opened unexpected markets like Mongolia, and pushed me into bold ventures.
Pride and Perspective
If I could talk to my younger self, I’d say: you only need to be right once, and the rest is history. Keep going.
I want the world to see ADHD not as a disorder, but as a different operating system. We’re not broken—we’re wired for innovation, speed, and disruption. Yes, we forget things and burn out, but we also dream faster, risk bigger, and bounce back stronger.
We’re not the problem kids. We’re the pattern-breakers, brand-makers, and game-changers. So, if you meet someone with ADHD, don’t pity them. Back them, bet on them, or get out of their way.
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Special thanks to our sponsors whose generous support made this book possible:
MINDSET, Singapore Pools, Chua Foundation, Hyphens Pharma
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