Don't filter people through collaborations; that's a gamble with your time, resources, and emotions. You are the primary person responsible for your own interests. Using "benefits" to test people is too costly; many people don't even deserve a single chance of your trial and error. True experts use their insight to evaluate people. Focus on developing your ability to recognize people, and also trust your intuition. His unintentional words and actions reveal his true character. The earlier you recognize people, the less you'll lose.