Chris Best

Don’t sleep on the legend that is Chris Best. This guy’s the real deal in the startup world. Started his process back in school, studying Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo, the kinda guy who’s always been into building stuff from scratch. No fancy fluff, just pure tech grind.

He jumped into the scene early, working at places like Airline Intelligence Systems, iAnywhere, Sandvine, Schaeffler Canada, just your typical software gigs, but you can tell he was always leveling up. Nothing crazy flashy, but he was soaking up the tech game, learning how stuff actually works behind the scenes.

Then, he co-founded Kik Interactive around 2009. That was a big change, they built a mobile messaging app that blew up to over 300 million users by 2017. Think about that, from zero to hundreds of millions. That’s not just luck, that’s real hustle and understanding what people want. Kik was all about connecting people, and Chris played a major role as CTO, making sure the tech scaled and worked smooth as hell.

But here’s where it gets even more interesting. Instead of riding that wave forever, he jumped into something totally different, Substack in 2017. This is where he really showed his vision. He co-founded it, and now he’s CEO. Substack’s all about giving independent writers a platform to make money directly from their fans, cutting out the middlemen. It’s like he saw the future of media, where creators can own their shit and build real communities. That’s some advanced understanding of culture and tech colliding.

What’s crazy is, you see a pattern. Chris isn’t just about making apps or quick wins. He’s about empowering people, building tools that change how we communicate, consume info, and make a living. His whole career screams passion for creating something meaningful, not just chasing fame or cash.

And he’s based in SF now, right in the heart of the startup universe, but his process started with a solid technical foundation and a hunger to make an impact. He’s the type of founder who’s been through the trenches, from scaling messaging platforms to helping creators thrive, and he’s still pushing forward.

So yeah, Chris Best is one of those guys who’s been building the future quietly but effectively. He’s proven that with the right tech and the right vision, you can shake up the world. No Cap, he’s someone worth watching, a legit mix of engineer, entrepreneur, and culture shaper.