I hate the word passion. Everyone seems to be «passionate» these days, but little of this passion seeps out. That’s because saying the word passion doesn’t cost anything (it doesn’t buy you much either). So, when you tell a prospective employer that you’re, «passionate about x,» what he/she is thinking is, «OK—prove it.» Most people can’t. This is because they aren’t actually passionate—they just think that’s what they’re supposed to say. We don’t want to hear about your passion, we just want to see what you’ve done. Once you’ve launched a side-project, no matter how small, you have evidence of what you’re about. And once you do, you don’t necessarily need to talk about it. Others will see what you’ve done and possibly reach out, asking you to help them do the same. Eric Karjaluoto.