This is pretty much off the top of my head right now. If it doesn't sound entirely crazy, please get back to me and I'll refine it!
"It's not the code, stupid!"
In all the businesses I've been involved in, as an employee, a consultant and even my own business, one thing I've consistently seen, which ... surprises the engineer in my heart: technical issues rarely cause show stopping problems. Most often, it boils down to people. I'd like to tell a few (true, but carefully sanitised) stories about start ups I've been involved in, some of the non-technical issues they've had and what I've learned from them. Then, hopefully, the folks listening to the talk don't have to make the same mistakes I've made. :-)
Couple of specific examples:
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If your management team doesn't get along, it's just not going to work. (This will be an interesting one to anonymise, but it's a fun story!)
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While they're a nuisance, it's a good idea to get contracts sorted. It gets really embarrassing if, for example it turns out that the code you're selling to your client is really owned by the subcontractor who created the work. Rookie mistake, I know. Not one you make twice.
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A counter-example: choosing the wrong architecture in the first place can put you dead in the water for 18 months.
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Be the dumbest person in the room. Or at least surround yourself with a board of advisors which complement your skills.
Like I say, bit random, totally off the top of my head right now. :-) What I'm hoping the audience will get out of it is a bit of entertainment, getting to laugh at some of the horror stories I want to tell (well anonymised, about me, and/or with permission, of course!) and will pick up some tips so they don't make the same mistakes.