Money - I am going to have to disagree on this one.
Yes money does help, but doest it directly influent success? I don't think so.
Resourcefulness - I believe this is one of the most crucial things in FIRST. You may not have a lot of cash or other fancy things, but its how you use your resources to their greatest ability. I have seen some many successful robots built with a reciprocating saw and a dewalt. Now, of course it may not be the most efficient or prettiest, but it sure could get the job done.
It may be a surprise but, money does not automatically buy you a great robot in FIRST.
