We could make such a list, but I think the list all by itself will cause many people aware of the list and attempting to do a start-up a kind of 'All I have to do is avoid these 300 things and I'll be fine' checklist.

When in fact the real reasons why start-ups fail are often complex interplays between the various factors rather than just one single factor, and only a few of those are under direct control of the founders.

Sure, but it's a seed for discussion. Add a few tags for discoverability and loose correlation, then let the nuance come out in a conversation. We discuss Apple, Google, Microsoft's moves ad nauseum — it'd be great to apply some of that energy to companies operating at a scale closer to ourselves.