That's a good list. I don't have any particular love for MBAs, but I wouldn't necessarily rule them out, as I've known a rare few who do well in startup environ

That's a good list. I don't have any particular love for MBAs, but I wouldn't necessarily rule them out, as I've known a rare few who do well in startup environments. (It seems rare though.) But before this gets into yet another MBA debate, let me move on. I think the exact list of traits you'll want will be determined by your particular needs. aditya's list is a great starting point though. Start with this, then modify the points accordingly. For instance, I might give "has never shipped a real product" -10 instead. Another factor to consider is how well the person gets along with you. That might be +10 or more right there. Like myoung8 said, you have to know if you wouldn't mind working and debating and arguing with this person for months on end. Also, this person's connections may play a part, depending on your needs. In the B2B world, business connections can mean a lot. And connected with respect, I mean. There are plenty of schmoozers without any true respect. Finally, I'd recommend checking the person's references. You may not need to do this formally like you're at an interview. But if you can somehow contact this person's former colleagues somehow, that would be helpful. Maybe a LinkedIn check to see if anyone you know might know this person could help. You basically want to find out how others have liked working with him/her.