[amitklein]

It sort of depends what you are looking for: a partner or someone to execute?

* If you are looking for a partner describe your big vision, your near term goals and how you you are thinking of implementing them. Ask for suggestions, make sure you both believe the big picture and talk through the details.

* If you just want someone to build your vision give as much detail as possible. Show wireframes/designs of every screen with annotations.

I also like using product backlogs to define the functionality for projects. Make a list of every feature ranked by priority. Ask your tech partner to fill in the difficulty for each item to help you prioritize.

[whogivesashirt]

Your first point raises the question of how to approach someone with an idea, when I don't necessarily have funds to back it up. Is there an accepted protocol for this? In spending time on this site, I've noticed that's a pet peeve of most developers.

[amitklein]

I think you have to be able to convince someone why you will be successful. Most people want to see traction and idea validation before they join something (especially if there is no cash up front). Is there a way you can demonstrate that without the product?