Another core ingredient is to have the right team with complementing skills and personalities. We are sure you have heard at least a thousand times that at the idea stage in particular, investors (and also business partners, FYI) invest in the team not the idea. If the team shows it has the competence and capability to realize and execute the project, its chances of success increase. There are several methods to build a strong and well-functioning team, and several studies which show the consequences of different team dynamics. You should always consider those when you reach this phase both at the very early stage and in the growth phase.
