Here is a great video by Jeff Gothelf on how to build a successful team. Some highlights are

  • No silos
  • Small teams
  • Close location or communication to reduce the feedback loop (at least have to be awake at the same time
  • Dedicated (not pulled off on other projects)
  • Self sufficient – if it needs to write code someone can write code, if it needs to design someone can design, if it needs research someone can research, product management decisions, someone needs to be there to make that – it doesn’t mean you need representatives from those disciplines, just people with those competencies.