I've never understood this attitude. Passion doesn't necessarily bring anything to the table here for everyone. Persistence I think is the word you're actually looking for.
For example, when I was in grad school my passion for the subject actually nose-dived as the quantity of tedium and endless iteration increased. It wasn't passion that carried me anywhere then. It was simple determination.
Persistence and Passion - both have value and both might result into the same thing
Passionate person's approach:
> I'm looking for something I don't know.
> This framework I read on HN looks cool. I have a busy day, but let me put aside my boring work and try this new framework
> Let me create a NN in my own way -just for fun. I know libraries exist, but I still want to do it my way.
> I'm bored - let me check HN (I don't remember that I checked it 30 mins back)
> I wonder that I work so long and hard, but I don't achieve anything concrete (Scattered energies)
> I reached goal XYZ because I was trying this and that. And then the dots connected and I had this eureka moment. And now I have 10K users (accidentally)
Persistence approach:
> This is the goal I want to reach (The goal could be learning a new thing)
> This is the plan that I need to follow. Or experiment with another plan if this doesn't work.
> Don't reinvent the wheel, use the resources available (exception: re-inventing was a part of the goal)
> I need to read HN twice a day and see if something I can add to my learning/todo-list.
> I need to stay disciplined even if I don't like it (Focused)
> I reached goal XYZ because I planned and strategized for acquiring 10K users.
Combination of both is necessary. Throughout my career, I have seen persistent people achieve more often. However, if passionate people achieve something it is significantly larger win (amidst very low probabilities)
For example, when I was in grad school my passion for the subject actually nose-dived as the quantity of tedium and endless iteration increased. It wasn't passion that carried me anywhere then. It was simple determination.