You are an entrepreneur. You have tons of passion, investors who back you, friends who support you and a can-do spirit. However, without a product that adds value, you will fail.

This isn’t meant to depress you but to emphasize the importance of products. Every story has a premise, and the premise of any business venture should be to make sure you have an idea that will add value. High-quality products appeal to customers because they view it as adding value to their lives. How many people do you know who buy products that they don’t view as valuable? It’s shocking to me how many entrepreneurs take products to the market that adds absolutely no value. But say you already launched your business selling flimsy widgets, what do you do?

Let’s learn something from Harley-Davidson. The company that now dominates the motorcycle industry, was almost bankrupt in 1985. Despite a loyal customer base and widespread brand recognition, the companies reliability relative to the competition was unmistakable. If things continued down this road Harley-Davidson was on the edge of becoming an antique item.

The outcome for the customer when buying a Harley wasn’t bright. Value is in the eyes of the customer, and the customer was theoretically blind. Harley learned the hard way that you won’t generate sales if your consumer doesn’t perceive your product as one of value. Their saving grace? To produce a product of value.

Easier said than done, but Harley had a strategy, work out competitors’ strengths. Emulate those strengths. Add Harley-Davidson tradition and mystique. And what do you know, a winning strategy was born. If the reliability of Harley-Davidson products hadn’t been improved, the company wouldn’t be here today. Creating a product of value saved Harley-Davidson’s sweet leather behinds.

You want success, you must create value.