artisan

a connoisseur of the good life –
especially with respect to food and drink.

raconteur

bon vivant

a boisterous character who likes to tell stories and share experiences with others.

an artistic and creative individual with a reverence for nuance and detail.

David P. Best about me lifestyle artisan raconteur bon vivant

David P. Best

Although trained as a classical musician (oboe performance), most of my professional career has been in the high technology field as a product visionary – anticipating and assimilating the future needs of IT customers, and then working with talented engineers to give birth to innovative new products. Much of this work has been communications intensive – bridging the gap between abstract needs on one side and the highly technical capabilities on the other.

Over the years, I have held executive positions with several wildly successful technology companies and have been a general partner in two Silicon Valley venture capital partnerships, fostering the formation and growth of numerous companies.

And throughout my life, I have been a craftsman, working in wood, designing & building furniture, and dabbling in architectural design while building and remodeling homes. I am an autodidact to the core, and most of my expertise and valuable knowledge was acquired the hard way – by daring to tackle new challenges through self-directed learning.

I'm a risk-taking entrepreneur at heart - unconventional at times, yet passionate about what I do, and with perfectionist tendencies. My interpersonal style strikes many as outrageous at times, often demanding, pugnacious, and frequently excessive. I'm not afraid to ask the difficult questions, have difficult conversations, or confront what I perceive to be hypocritical reasoning or cognitive dissonance.

about me

lifestyle

On the personal side, I am an avid cook, collector of wines, and have been a sailor and photographer most of my life. I have a passion for classical music, the ballet, and entertaining guests in my home in Portland, Oregon where I live alone with my cat. In support of my dedication to food and drink, I have assembled my own cookbook and a compact mixologist's guide to cocktail preparation. Feel free to download your own copies in this section.

Jokingly, I often refer to myself as a "recovering redneck" since my life began in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. I have traveled extensively in Europe and Asia and circumnavigated the globe aboard ship. My lifestyle affinity aligns most closely with the French. I am scientifically minded, politically progressive, and a secular humanist.

I spend a good portion of every day on my computer, writing, documenting my workshop activities, and participating in several online user groups. You can contact me through this link.