3 Ways to Leverage the Science of Entrepreneurial Passion

Every entrepreneur eventually reaches the same point. It is the gutter moment when they lie face-down in the mud. Rusty tin cans and cigarette butts lay nearby. It is the moment they wonder why they are still doing this—and most seriously consider quitting.

Though many do quit, some persist.

What powers founders through difficult times?

Many think of passion as the source of fuel and motivation for entrepreneurs, either to lift themselves out of the gutter or to keep themselves focused when times are flush with opportunity. In both cases, to succeed long-term entrepreneurs must constantly resource that something extra that gets them to their next milestone.

Is entrepreneurial passion real or is it an urban legend, cultivated by late-night be-your-own-boss hucksters?

Canadian social psychologist Robert Vallerand identified passion, generally, as a strong inclination toward activities you like or love, that you find important, and that you engage in over time. Passion provides the fuel for engaging in these important activities.

More specifically for founders, business professor and passion researcher Melissa Cardon and her colleagues determined that entrepreneurial passion is more specific than Vallerand’s general notions of passion. After studying 80 entrepreneurs, Cardon and her co-authors found that passion coordinates the “cognition and behavior of entrepreneurs, providing the fire that fuels innovation, persistence, and ultimate success.” In fact, Cardon’s previous research identified at least three different types of entrepreneurial passion (founding, inventing, and developing) and each has unique characteristics and ramifications for a founder.

The 3 Entrepreneurial Passions

Passion for Founding

What do Elon Musk and Evan Williams share?

They both have a passion for founding new ventures that pursue their unique vision of a better world. A passion for founding energizes certain entrepreneur to start new organizations, with new missions, goals, and teams. Founders with this passion thrive on the freshness of a vision.

Passion for Inventing

A passion for inventing describes some entrepreneurs’ need to build the perfect product or service–something that never existed in the world before. Or, it may manifest through a desire to innovate existing products and services. Locked in a lab or workshop or office with just their vision and a few tools or close teammates? Some founders will want nothing more.

Doesn’t Steve Wozniak and Nikola Tesla come to mind?

Passion for Developing

Finally, there are entrepreneurs passionate about developing an organization and nurturing it from seedling to blossoming flower.

Finding and hiring great talent, setting milestones, raising funds, and wowing clients all feed their soul. Think of the many entrepreneurs committed to nurturing and growing their company over their career, for instance, Marc Benioff and Michael Dell.

3 Ways to Leverage Your Passion

So, how can you use your new understanding of entrepreneurial passion to build your business and avoid any proverbial gutters? Three ideas come to mind.

Understand Your Passion

Understand where your passion lies. If you are just getting started in your business, what activities are you most drawn to? Do you love immersing yourself in the R&D process, building software, developing recipes, or reverse engineering competitive products? Your passion may be for inventing.

If you always have a new idea and find it hard to make progress with any one of them because you are constantly being distracted by the next shiny object, your passion may be in founding.

Or, if building relationships and teams are what drives you to wake up every morning, no matter the widget or the market, you may have a passion for developing.

Fill in the Gaps

Once you understand your passion for startups, how can you do more of what energizes you and less all the things that bog you down, take you away from your passion?

Entrepreneurial burnout is real and it can decimate your startup. To fight burnout and unhappiness, focus on what gives you energy–your passion.

Find complementary co-founders or leaders whose own passions fill the gaps around you. Research suggests early-stage investors seek out strong management teams. They realize a single founder is more likely to burn out if they are not supported by others.

Reenergize Regularly

It is inevitable that you’ll be pulled in many directions as an entrepreneur, whether you are a single founder or co-founder. By knowing the source of your passion, when the week is not going well and the stress levels are high, you can take occasional refuge in the activities that energize you: a working reprieve.

During my time as a software services entrepreneur, my passion was in inventing our company’s products and services. I occasionally gave myself permission to write code on small projects and I often delved into the mechanics of how we delivered our innovative services to clients. Though my main role in the company was developing the organization, spending 10-20% of my time on my passion provided fuel for the rest of my week.

Passion is a positive emotion you attach to something you value. It is one of the wonders of being human.

By understanding your entrepreneurial passion, you may more wisely choose co-founders or key team members, ones who complement you. Avoid burnout by building awareness of your entrepreneurial passion. By doing so, you can continue to build your vision for the world.