It's not "appearances". I know all the guys I meant since university.

All of them were top notch PhDs. Physics. CS. Some were excellent teachers even before graduation. Others were at the leading edge of ML even two decades ago.

In short: it's not a superficial impression as a customer. I know their pros and cons from studying to social life during and after graduation, early career, ...

So, my POV is personal experience. Your POV is gossip?