Above Photograph © Chase Jarvis

We’ve all heard the saying “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” But do you know how this catch phrase ended up as a mantra of the mobile economy? In today’s show, we speak with Chase Jarvis, the man behind Best Camera—the wildly successful photo sharing app that predated Instagram—to get an inside look at his wild ride. 

A born entrepreneur and self-made photographer with a hunger that always worked against the grain, Chase’s meteoric rise in action sports/lifestyle photography dovetailed with the dawn of the sharing economy, leading him to a moonshot idea. The ensuing saga of Best Camera’s viral success, subsequent demise, and Chase’s quick pivot into his next visionary business model—Creative Live—is both a cautionary tale and a redemption story. All told, you’ll gain fascinating insights into the nexus of creative innovation and big business at the highest levels. 

When asked about his biggest take away from Best Camera given the benefit of hindsight, Chase doesn’t miss a beat, responding, “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Guest: Chase Jarvis

Episode Timeline:

3:44: How Chase’s mastery of sports and the gift of his grandfather’s camera gear led to a passion for teaching himself photography.

9:33: Channeling real-world examples from his grandfather and father into early pictures, along with library books about the masters’ and photographic techniques.

15:35: The development of Chase’s early entrepreneurial spirit and how his second-grade teacher stifled these efforts.

22:50: Bucking trends and connecting with the uniqueness you bring to your images as a creative style.

26:32: Embracing social media and the sharing community early on and the ability to see around the corner as an entrepreneur.

35:53: Chase’s fast track to commercial success, technological innovation, and developing the Best Camera App.

46:20: Episode Break

47:48: The lessons learned from the Best Camera failure and how Chase channeled these lessons into the success of the first livestreaming learning platform, Creative Live.

52:24: Making the pivot from the first live photo feed to building Creative Live as a way to answer questions the questions asked by a massive global audience. 

1:00:51: Creative Live’s pioneering approach to a freemium business model, plus offering access as a core company value.

1:05:29: The most popular offerings at Creative Live: the fundamentals, the business of classes, and the big name thought leaders.

1:12:38: Chase’s views on the current—and future—landscape in social media, creativity, and AI, plus advice for getting comfortable being uncomfortable. 

1:20:43: What success means to Chase, and the message in his recent book Never Play it Safe: A Practical Guide to Freedom, Creativity and a Life You Love.

Guest Bio: 

Chase Jarvis is an award-winning artist, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and one of the most influential photographers of the past 20 years, whose diverse portfolio spans from advertising campaigns for Apple, Nike, and Red Bull to collaborations with athletes like Serena Williams and icons such as Lady Gaga and Sir Richard Branson. As an early adopter of social media and the sharing economy, Chase created Best Camera (the first photo-sharing app) in 2009 and co-founded the online education platform CreativeLive in 2010. Chase has spoken on six continents and advised Fortune 100 companies, with invitations to both the Obama White House and Buckingham Palace. Based in Seattle with his wife Kate and their dog Bodhi, he hosts the widely successful Chase Jarvis LIVE podcast (over 50 million downloads) while serving on several nonprofit boards. 

Stay Connected: Chase Jarvis Website: https://chasejarvis.com/ Chase Jarvis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis Twitter: https://x.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChaseJarvis Chase Jarvis Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Jarvis Chase Jarvis Best Camera App: https://chasejarvis.com/project/the-best-camera/ Chase Jarvis Creative Live: https://www.creativelive.com/instructor/chase-jarvis Chase Jarvis Never Play It Safe book: https://chasejarvis.com/never-play-it-safe/

End Credits:

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens