In order to understand the influence of researchers’ academic grit on innovation performance, Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, was taken as the research object. Using grounded theory, the biographical data and interview data were coded and analyzed. It is found that academic grit includes a two-dimensional structure, namely, consistent goals and sustained effort. Both dimensions have a positive impact on innovation performance. Courage, psychological capital, social support system, and interest are correlated with grit quality and innovation performance. Therefore, it is recommended to take the cultivation of academic grit of researchers seriously to enhance their psychological “innovation endogenous force”.