There seems to be a flurry of inquiries in my various email lists looking for top level web developers.  Every time I read the requirements (particularly LAMP) for top applicants I can quickly piece together what their infrastructure must look like.  All too frequently I cringe! 

Here's one: PHP5+, MySQL 5.1+, Smarty, HTML, XML/Feeds, TCP/IP communications, Socket connections, Shared Memory management, Linux, Apache, Perl, JavaScript.  

What we have here is a mix of common concepts every web developer should be familiar with, specific development architecture, and a host of coding languages, some of which need to be cutting edge.  I wonder what do the (+) signs mean?  Are these more important?  Are you looking for varients of MySQL 5.1? Or 5.2, would 6.0 count as 5.1+?

It is obvious to me that this organization got a ways into the development process and hit a wall, could be scalability, could be 'memory management'.   All too often startups get locked into believing that their prototype architecture has anything to do with their final product.  Find a good developer, consult with a GREAT architect and rebuild from scratch if you believe you've got an application that the world needs.