I linked this post to my blog (http://beaconblog.beaconbusinessconsulting.com) with some examples of how an entrepreneur can mix ability and passion in different ways to create a meaningful venture.

Whether we watch someone like Bret Favre running around the field like a little kid or Steve Jobs create another user-friendly and stylish consumer electronic device, we see examples of how people join their passion and ability all around us. In fact, the unusual matches between passion and ability can often lead to the most creative and innovative business ideas.

I love the internet, I have done since the late '80, in 1995 I started running a company called Nacamar, then one of the biggest ISPs in Europe which I sold in August 1999 ( before the big bang) and since then I do not need to work anymore.

In 2000 I got back to my initial idea to help small business – having been a small business guy all my life myself – with internet technology, the great equalizer.

Why am I doing that, in short passion. My wife and some friends call it a sickness – but it is passion, the only thing that motivates my. I get up at 04:00 and start working, I blog, work on the new website, answer emails, do online customer support at least for one hour a day ( just talking to Ruben at the moment) and so on.

For me this is an easy question – the answer Passion – the money will come. You can see some of my other believes and mottos in my post from last week – http://www.sme-blog.com/?p=325

ST

Palo Alto Software exists in part because I loved business planning and programming, both, and the early days of this business gave me a way to bring those two loves together and make a living at it. I got to do what I love without feeling guilty about it. I made enough money to buy shoes for the kids too.

Alright, Alex, I admit that as it grew it included a lot of work that wasn't fun, the organizational stuff, insurance, sweating the cash flow … and as that stuff came up I did it because I still loved the core part of it and it was worth working for.

And then if you keep it up, eventually it gets big enough that other people to the parts you don't like, and you keep the parts that you do like. For example now, since we promoted the new management team, I get to do exactly the parts that I love.

And yes, Cale, what I loved was a bit more business relevant than the guitar (love that too), so maybe I'm just lucky. Still, re luck, it does seem that the harder I work the luckier I get.

– Tim

Several years ago I started my own business because I thought it was what I wanted to do and would "love". I was not passionate about the product I was making and selling. It evolved from an idea my husband had, so we almost felt compelled to bring it to market. So we did, and well…while to the profits coming in were ok, I was very unhappy. I was working alone and dealing with customers in an industry that was filled with gruff buyers and unforgiving retailers.

While doing this I was offered a job at a small software company, an industry I knew nothing about. 3 years later, I really can say I love what I do. For me it is not about being "in love" with the product, service or industry you are in, it is about the people you work with everyday, the culture you are surrounded by, and the feeling you get from being successful in what you are doing.

I would say that the importance lies in doing what you love to do. I have a reason behind this. In doing what you enjoy, there is no forcing your progression. I keep informed in my field and increase my skills at my job not because I feel pressure to do so, but because it is a topic that interests me on a continuous basis. It is as the person who posed this question says…what gets me out of bed in the morning.

I think that people normally enjoy what they are good at for specifically this reason, they get more practice at it.

I love to play guitar, write and record music. I originally considered becoming a recording engineer or otherwise working in the music business because that's what I loved.

But, I quickly realized several things:

1) it's a competitive industry. Even though I love doing those things, I have no desire to compete with others for jobs in that industry. It would take the joy out of it for me.

2) It's a hobby for me. A release from every day stress. If I were to make it my job, it would no longer be a release from every day stress, but a major source of stress. (Project deadlines, difficult clients, being underpaid, etc.)

So, I decided to become a web developer. Here's the thing: I love being a web developer, I'm good enough at it to have a successful career and it pays the bills very well. If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably never write another line of code. But, the trade off was that even though I like programming, I don't love it so much that I would miss it if it became a chore and I decided to cut it out of my life… (Not sure if that last bit made sense.)

Basically, I think you should try to find a middle ground: Do something that you like but could live without. That way you can enjoy the work that you have to do, keep the things you *love* all for yourself and don't worry about ruining the things you love with the pressures of making a living from them…

Love blinds, often making it difficult to mix business with pleasure. I think this is why most people keep what they really love far, far, away from the JOB. NOTE: A lot of people claim to be doing what they love but it isn't often the case. Everybody wants it so it's natural for people to claim they have it – it's in our nature.

Most of the people (there are exceptions) I know that have turned loves/hobbies into businesses regret it. Why? They turned that special thing they really loved into a JOB – it isn't fun anymore, it's work. It's the thing that puts food on the table. That, usually, comes with stress and external pressure. Other people start messing around with the thing you loved.

My advice to the entrepreneur.com reader – keep doing what you're good at, become the best at it, and find a way to leverage that success so you can spend more time doing what you really love. That way, you keep the green stuff out of the relationship.

– Cale Bruckner http://www.palmit.com