Most savvy business people know KLT. Know, Like, Trust.

Its the way to build a business (read: something sustainable that generates value).

But most people run on AVC. Attractive, Valuable, Competent.

Its what’s shiny.

As in, I want to do business (or be in a relationship with) him/her because they are hot. Or, because they have money (or can bring me a lot of money). Or, because they’re good with their hands.

As opposed to, I have seen who they are. I like (read: enjoy) what I’ve seen and how they operate. I trust (I would expose my secrets and know they wouldn’t abuse) them.

The world runs so much on AVC that KLT seems foolish.

However, there used to be a word for people that chose AVC over KLT.

Shallow.

As in Shallow Hal (Jack Black), A Different Man (Sebastian Stan), and Don Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

A few reasons why you might consider running your social (business, friendships, romance) on KLT:

  1. AVC decays over time. KLT compounds over time. Not always, but as a general rule.
  2. There’s a near infinite number of AVC people in the world, and a much smaller KLT list. So it serves as a great filtering tool, at the very least.
  3. World-class people filter based on KLT (in my experience). Logically, it makes sense: if you’re the best looking in the world (A) or the richest (V) or incredibly skilled (C), then you know other AVC people are going to seek you out based on that alone. What you really look for, then, is KLT.