Premium Effect
Enter aligned environments where your genuine differences become scarce and valued
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 95%
Brunson's Premium Effect treats desirability as partly contextual. A trait that receives little attention in one pool may attract curiosity in another because it is less common there. Start with authentic interests, then identify respectful environments where something real about you—background, accent, expertise, age, or perspective—is comparatively scarce. Enter to participate, not to exploit the group, and judge success by substantive conversations and relationships rather than raw attention. Brunson's examples include dating-platform experiments and a friend attending a cultural exhibition; he also acknowledges crude and fetishizing responses, so scarcity is not automatically positive. The method changes exposure and context, not a person's inherent worth.
Origin
Brunson says he developed the idea while experimenting with environments for clients in his matchmaking agency; extracted from The Diary of a CEO.
Core principles
- 01Perceived value changes with context
- 02A genuine difference can gain attention where it is scarce
- 03Interest alignment matters more than novelty alone
- 04New environments can produce friendship even without romance
- 05Self-esteem makes it easier to tolerate standing out
How to run it
- 1
Map aligned environments
List clubs, events, communities, and platforms connected to interests you can discuss sincerely.
Pro tip Prefer settings you would still find worthwhile without a romantic outcome.
Watch out Do not adopt a false religion, ethnicity, profession, or interest to gain access.
- 2
Find contextual scarcity
Identify where one of your genuine characteristics or perspectives is less common and may create constructive curiosity.
Pro tip Think in terms of contribution and conversation, not superiority.
Watch out Being unusual can also attract stereotyping or fetishization.
- 3
Enter as a participant
Attend, learn, and engage with the purpose of the setting instead of treating everyone as a prospect.
Pro tip Ask questions about the event or shared interest to begin naturally.
Watch out Respect spaces that are not designed for outside social prospecting.
- 4
Filter the response
Distinguish respectful curiosity from objectification, hostility, or attention that has no relational substance.
Pro tip A new friend or useful community can still be a successful outcome.
Watch out More approaches do not necessarily mean better compatibility.
- 5
Repeat what fits
Return to environments that produce respectful, interest-aligned connections and leave those that only generate shallow attention.
In the wild
Brunson encouraged a single white friend from Hertfordshire to attend an exhibition at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton. He says she did not form a romantic connection but met two people who remained friends for more than a year.
→ Changing context produced durable social connections even though the intended romantic result did not occur.
Common mistakes
Confusing attention with compatibility
Scarcity can increase curiosity without producing trust, shared goals, or a healthy relationship.
Exploiting the community
Entering solely to harvest dates undermines the respectful participation the method requires.
Is it for you?
Best for
People willing to meet others through new interest-based communities where they can stand out authentically.
Not ideal for
Deceptive identity claims, treating a community as a marketplace, or seeking novelty without genuine interest or respect.
From the transcript
“There was a premium effect being assigned.”
“Think about where your interests lie, but where you can step out and be different.”
From the episode
Paul Brunson: "The 70/30 Body Shape Is Scientifically The Most Sexy", "The ONE Question That Predicts Divorce!" & "The Link Between Childhood Trauma & Sex"