So rather than maximize our potential, most of us find ourselves right in the middle:  not too bad, not too great.  Most of us are oppressed by the systems that we live in, by society, by what society thinks, and by what our peers think.

The power of conformity is very real.  Although we often say the U.S.A. is an individualistic society, we are still very much a society that values conformity.  And even those who claim to be non-conformists yearn to be accepted by others.  Consensus feels good.  It’s natural for all of us.  And social proof matters.

But think about it:  Would you really do without the pressure to conform?  I think most of us have become so accustomed to conforming that we don’t even know. Yet the great leaders of the world – the ones who leave great legacies and do great things – are the ones who leave the system.

Apple sells individuality.  Revlon sells hope.  And Harley-Davidson sells freedom.

When it comes down to it, you’re never really selling just a product or service.  There’s always something greater to it than that – a greater purpose, cause, or belief that the company embodies and stands for.  Every great company has one.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Pricing high involves less work, attracts lower-maintenance customers, and provides high profit margins.  But pricing low can be actually be more profitable.  By being the low-cost leader, you have the opportunity to dominate a market, reach more customers, gain their loyalty, and convert them to ongoing regular purchasers.

Whatever you do, avoid the middle price.  It may be the most comfortable, but it’s also the most crowded.  You can’t be remarkable if you’re just average.

Apple knows that for most consumers, as long as appropriate quality standards and expectations have been met, there’s no need to exceed them. What do you think most people would rather have:  an iPod that lets you put “1000 songs in your pocket” at a lower sound quality (MP3 format), or a traditional CD player that plays higher quality music but only lets you listen to one artist at a time?  The answer is obvious.

Take McDonald’s as another example.  Anyone can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s.  But no one can deliver on a better promise.  A Big Mac will taste virtually the same anywhere in the world.  If quality were so important, why is McDonald’s the largest restaurant chain in the world, serving over 60 million people daily?

It’s because quality isn’t that important.  People go to McDonald’s because they are creatures of habit and they seek predictability.  McDonald’s is more than just a restaurant chain.  McDonald’s built a system to service this basic human desire.  They’re not in the business of quality.  They’re in the business of convenience.

Take note aspiring entrepreneurs:  Most people are willing to sacrifice quality for convenience, so long as the quality of the product meets their minimum standards and expectations.  If you want to build your product around quality, that’s perfectly fine, but you won’t reach critical mass that way.