How would you build the perfect team?
tom_b: Your "not specific to a domain" part scares me.  I currently work with two extremely talented people with completely different backgrounds - one is a top-notch, get it done engineer, the other a smart startup minded person who has a MBA (don't worry, I tease him mercilessly).I specifically picked these two from my personal network based on the skills I needed for my current effort.  The top-notch engineer could work with minimal spec and teach herself tech as needed for web apps (I had her move from Java/J2ee to RoR and completely assumed she'd crank it out, result=homerun), the MBA guy had real tech skills but possesses a real (and non-slimy) way of interacting with our users that engenders trust and commitment (and people in our environment are now recovering from a period of plain dislike for working with our group).Neither would have made sense if I was building a team to write graphics drivers.I guess the answer is something I alluded to - personal network.