Despite recent worldwide research efforts, composite silicon-based anodes remain at the centre of debate in the field of lithium-ion batteries. Here, we demonstrated that successful development of composite silicon-based anodes requires the simultaneous consideration of two equally important features: fundamental and technological. The fundamental feature dictates that the in situ formed amorphous phase should remain in its amorphous state in order to achieve a long-lasting reversible electrode, while the technological feature implies that the complex active material-binder interactions have to be numerically evaluated in order to tailor the electrode properties in an appropriate way. Only the harmonic consideration of both aspects allows creation of a long-lasting reversible silicon electrode. Examples demonstrating these features are considered and lithium-ion batteries employing hybrid silicon-based electrodes are proposed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.