Written by Riya Wadhwani, Ph.D. Student at Indian Institute of Management Udaipur, India
What is passion? Is it about finding that singular true calling or embarking on a journey of exploration and adventure? Life presents us with a buffet of experiences, where we can either wait for that “one best dish” or savor the variety as it comes. It’s not just about the destination but about enjoying the journey to get there.
What’s the fuss about passion?
In today's digital age, social media and influencers have significantly shaped our perceptions of success and happiness. These 30-second reels and short videos often prescribe how our days, meals, family time, child-rearing, work, and even sleep should look like. They paint a picture of passion as waking up with boundless excitement, and diving into work with undistracted focus. However, reality often tells a different story.
Personally, I’ve struggled with the conventional motivational mantras of “find your one true passion” or “discover your calling.” These ideas promote the notion of having a single, all-encompassing goal and working towards it with unwavering dedication. As a 28-year-old, this perspective often left me questioning my path. If I don’t know where my passion lies, does that mean I'm living my life wrong? Have I wasted 28 years?
I contemplated these questions/worries/confusions with Gui Liberali, a full Professor of Digital Marketing at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) at Erasmus University. Our conversation offered me a new perspective on passion, showing how it can connect work and life goals in ways I hadn't previously considered. Join me as we delve into Gui’s journey and insights, and discover a different vantage point on what it means to be passionate.
Movie clip: Neil Armstrong in First Man
What’s so different?
"When you start your academic career, you soon learn to be passionate about multiple things, both theoretical and applied. The common denominator is the general focus of your research. Splitting, or multiplying your passion was one of the truly unexpected things I learned early on."
-Gui Liberali
Gui’s perspective on passion introduces the intriguing concept of a “common denominator.” With a background in computer science, his research spans multi-armed bandits, digital experimentation, morphing theory, machine learning, and product line optimization. Delving into multi-armed bandits and morphing theory reveals how this common denominator extends, splits, and multiplies across different professional realms. He explains that the goal of multi-armed bandit problems is to find the “trade-off between learning (exploration) and earning (exploitation) to maximize rewards.” Morphing, a subset of multi-armed bandit problems, relates to exploitation by acknowledging that “you cannot learn forever; at some point, you must decide.” This balance between learning and earning profoundly resonated with me. Gui illustrated this further with an example from his current project at Erasmus Medical Centre, where he applies morphing in a medical setting.
Imagine you have two new medical drugs and one established drug known to work well. With a sample size of 1,000 for each medication, you start a trial. As you conduct experiments, you monitor mortality rates for each medication. Eventually, you start learning what works. Morphing is an algorithm that helps you decide when to stop exploring, when to conclude a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and when to commit to the best option. It determines when to assign the sample to the most effective treatment. In a non-medical setting, this means balancing learning with earning. In a medical setting, it’s about balancing learning with treating. Should I give the best medication to patients, or continue learning about the others?
-Gui Liberali
In this case, multi-armed bandits help in efficiently identifying the most effective drug by balancing exploration (testing different drugs) and exploitation (focusing on the best-performing drug). While morphing helps in smoothly transitioning patients from less effective drugs to the most effective ones, minimizing risks and discomfort.
Patience with passion
Within the professional demands of life as an academic, which revolve around research and teaching, there are always challenges related to finding a balance between learning and earning. "Gui advises his students to be aware, as early as possible, that research primarily involves delayed gratification (publications) and teaching can be a source of instant gratification and new ideas." He adds, "In research, it is about learning (to earn later) versus earning (i.e., earn now). When comparing teaching and research, it is about the timing of gratifications."
Teaching also serves as a wellspring of new ideas. Gui shared that the inspiration for his 2022 Marketing Science paper emerged during one of his classes related to reinforcement learning courses. He mentioned that he used to focus on multi-armed bandits and morphing. While preparing for the class, he found that "thinking about other related classes of problems and different versions, different flavors, and different approaches opens up a lot of new doors." He continues, "In research, we often focus narrowly on solving a specific problem, delving deep to address it thoroughly (learning, primarily theoretical). However, when you teach (earning, primarily applied), you must consider other related problems you might not have explored. This broadens your perspective and opens up new opportunities."
Gui’s LinkedIn Post: Got my marketing students to 3d-print. Tons of fun.
This approach of splitting passion across activities beyond research and combining theoretical knowledge with practical application becomes a source of continuous inspiration. However, these activities need a common denominator—in Gui’s case, it is research revolving around the challenging and uncertain trade-offs between learning and earning.
Guiding others to their passion
As a reviewer, Gui likens his role to "searching for a diamond in the rough." He explains, "Our job is to help authors bring their ideas into the open. This involves understanding not only the content of the first draft but also the broader context within the field—what is being discussed, the challenges, and how the paper can contribute. It also involves assessing the authors' capability and willingness to refine their work and considering the journal’s audience."
Gui finds reviewing and editing exciting as they allow him to influence the field significantly. His position on the Editorial Board of IJRM offers him the rare opportunity to shape the discipline by creating special issues on methods and topics.
Additionally, he advises junior scholars, "Early in your career, a rejected paper can be very costly—it’s a small number (situations where individual events are of high stakes) game. Understanding the reviewing process early on is crucial. It helps you grasp the dynamics, the consequences of decisions, and the overall workings of the field."
Does passion exist in isolation?
A conducive work environment with the right infrastructure, incentives, and colleagues is essential for productivity. Equally important is having a place to unwind. For Gui, this place is his family. He emphasizes that his passion for his professional endeavors is deeply rooted in a well-balanced personal life. With no extended family nearby—the closest relative is a 12-hour flight from the Netherlands—the Liberali family has created their own ways to thrive. Regular vacations and work-free conversations at home help him recharge. Home and family are not just places to unwind but also sources of support during challenging times.
Gui and his wife, Dr. Jordana Liberali, have worked together to build a home away from home. They met in Brazil and moved together to the U.S., where Gui pursued a post-doctoral position at MIT, and Jordana joined Cornell University for a one-year project. After their time in the U.S., they moved to Rotterdam and started their family there. When their children were born, Jordana devoted more time to them, enabling Gui to focus on his research. Their mutual support has allowed them to create a home that fuels both their professional and personal passions.
Reflecting on this journey, I realized I was viewing passion like a mathematician, seeking a single equation to solve all uncertainties and unknowns. I've learned that instead of waiting for one elusive passion, I can embrace multiple passions that enrich my life, all connected through a common thread. As Gui wisely concludes:
“Being aware of the long game is the personal philosophy that guides me. In one’s lifetime sometimes circumstances change but if you are committed to a path, you will eventually find a way.”
Meet Gui Liberali
Full professor, Department of Marketing Management
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)
Erasmus University
A ritual/practice/exercise you can’t miss or start your day without?
Running 3 times a week, even if only in the gym. It regulates my mood – I simply
need it to function properly.
What would you be if not an academic?
Probably I would be a serial entrepreneur in the tech domain.
Are you more of a morning person or a night owl?
Morning person, definitely.
Do you prefer coffee or tea to kickstart your day?
Coffee in the mornings, tea in the afternoons.
Any fun stories or incidents you’d like to share?
I am a good driver generally, but I get distracted too easily by interesting conversations. One time I unintentionally drove into the wrong country and another time I ended up driving through a railway bridge. And my kids never let me forget this :-D
This article was written by
Riya Wadhwani
Ph.D. student at the Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur (Rajasthan, India)
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