There are four places that passion for a project might come from.
- Problems
The passion might come from you being fascinated by solving a difficult problem. For years, cypherpunks tried to solve the problem of creating a digital currency. Satoshi Nakamoto finally made it happen in 2009. I’d be willing to guess that he/she/they (whoever is behind bitcoin) was also perplexed by creating a functioning system for money on the internet.
- People (beneficiaries)
You might be passionate about helping a certain group of people. Perhaps you get energy from seeing the look on a child’s face when you deliver them school supplies they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.
- Craft
Finding passion in the technology or craft is being passionate about the process. It’s being passionate about how the project is accomplished. Some examples of this would be design firms like IDEO or House Industries. They are experts in the process of design whether it’s a toothbrush, an Amtrak experience or a new typeface for the New York Times.
- Ideas
Lastly, you could be passionate about new ideas and making projects happen. Some people are just serial entrepreneurs. They start dozens of companies because they love new ideas and making them happen.