In the startup world, &quot;Passion&quot; is a shibboleth, or a way of speaking that signals yourself as part of the in crowd. Or, in full startup vernacular, people who are &quot;passionate&quot; about programming are a good &quot;culture fit.&quot;<p>I&#x27;m not saying people aren&#x27;t passionate about programming, but in the context of the startup world, the literal meanings of the words don&#x27;t matter. The subtext is what&#x27;s being listened for.