If we have a formula, no one told us. The current group of founders range from 19 to 35, average 25. Their ambitions range from selling for a couple million to going public. Some are very unworldly hackers; others are business guys who don't know how to program. Their projects range from frivolous social networks to deep infrastructure.

I was about to say that all they have in common is that they all work really hard, but even that isn't universal. There are some slackers in each group.