We shouldn’t confuse our personal passion and the commercial success that our organization needs.
A VC should first make the right bets at the right time to get that IRR, before investing in what he’s personally passionate about.
A movie director should first prove herself with a few commercially successful films so that financiers are willing to back her next project, an indie artsy film based on her passion.
A PM should design features that contribute to the KPIs and the bottom line before thinking about any features related to the causes she deeply cares about.
Aligning our work with our personal passion is deeply rewarding. But life isn’t simple and our companies need to keep the lights on. No company = no chance to align anything. So contribute to the org’s success first. Earn your bread first if you want to eat it.