Passion

5

(1) A word that has been ceaselessly bastardized and overused by founders and investors who are too lazy to actually give well thought out advice. When someone tells you to "follow your passion" here, they are essentially copping out and giving you an answer that aims to make them look good without actually professing anything with actual substance. Using this word is only somewhat acceptable when paired with other useful advice, but never alone.

(2) An expression used to secretly talk down to someone you find meaningless.

James: You got any advice for founders who've just signed on their first hundred customers and are now trying to raise their first round of funding?

Prominent founder: Follow your passion.

Laura: How about finding technical founders to join you?

Prominent founder: If you follow your passion they will come to you.

Dan: Any advice on marketing one's product for the first time?

Prominent founder: If you show potential customers you have passion, they will buy or subscribe to your product.

Matt: Any advice on pivoting from a project you were passionate about?

Prominent founder: Yes. Find another passion.

Added by yungsnuggie yungsnuggie over 8 years ago