Chris Best
Background
Chris Best grew up in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and studied systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo. A brilliant systems software engineer and serial entrepreneur, Best co-founded mobile messaging platform Kik in 2009, serving as its Chief Technology Officer as Kik scaled to hundreds of millions of users.
Role at Substack Inc.
Chris Best is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Substack, Inc. Disillusioned by the toxic, attention-harvesting mechanics of ad-supported social media networks, Best resolved to build a software system that aligned corporate success with human enlightenment. In 2017, alongside Hamish McKenzie and Jairaj Sethi, Best founded Substack. A deeply principled software architect and thoughtful essayist, Best engineered Substack's zero-lock-in data portability guarantee, invented Substack Notes, and built a $650 million platform that powers over 3 million paid subscriptions, establishing Substack as the undisputed economic sanctuary for the world's greatest writers. Best's deeply principled, philosophical leadership made him one of the most respected media technology founders of the 21st century. Rejecting the toxic, ad-driven engagement loops of Silicon Valley social platforms, Best built Substack around writer sovereignty, zero platform lock-in, and direct reader trust, steering the company from a three-person startup into a $650M cultural titan past 3 million paid subscriptions ahead of an initial public offering.