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For Startups: Is it Passion or Determination that Determines Success?

Red Betsy Press Useful Startup Tips In an earlier time, I often worked with Startup teams to find "their passion."  Questions were always around, what did they like in their regular lives?  What were they passionate about?  For a startup founder this was often an intriguing question at best, at worst it was downright perplexing.

When starting a startup, I often caution startup founders that its likely even if their venture does okay, they'll be doing the startup venture for a minimum of 3 to 5 years.  Thus, its important to determine how much they like what they are working on, and by extension their passion for their startup idea.

An example of determination.
Aki Liao and Al McDermid's e-book that was an odyssey of over 15 years.
Cover art by Mark Smylie.  Released via Amazon e-publishing A Halo for Red Betsy.

Lately, I've shifted my focus to more of the question, "Do they have determination?"  In essence, passion is often a good starting point.  Passion can even be as simple quest for solving interesting technical problems.  But to make it in the long run, passion won't sustain them.  Passion may not even sustain them through the ups and downs rollercoaster ride that is the startup life.

Now in additon to determinig if they have passion, its all about figuring out if they show qualities for determination.  How determined are they to see the venture through?  Do they have a track record of seeing things through?  Have they been working on their idea for some time and show an almost obessive commitment to working on the idea?  Do they have something to prove (to others or themselves)?  Will they have worked on the idea regardless of the naysayers?  It seems to be self-evident, but often determination is over looked in understanding the motivations of a startup founder.