I agree, compatibility with values, worldview, politics and religion are all very important. They don't have to be the exact same belief, but they can't clash. And sex always matters.

I do think you need to have some common interests or activities. I don't need my partner to share everything with me. But I've seen couples who might have intellectual compatibility, but nothing much else outside of kids or family. They seem lonely. Some outright express it, especially if neither have large social circles.

FWIW, I know a couple who picked a brand-new activity that neither of them did prior to meeting. They chose it together, and 25 years later, still do it. They acknowledged they were different people right from the start, and attempted to address it, right from the start. That idea is still novel to me, but an idea that more couples might benefit from.