Ex-Google Refuses to Return and Launches Kanawai AI

Laid off in November 2025, Rob Waters turned down a six-figure offer to return to Google. He moved to San Francisco on July 1, living off his savings while building Kanawai AI, an AI registry platform. The startup claims to be onboarding its first clients, forming technology partnerships, and starting a pre-seed fundraising round.

Settling in San Francisco and a Personal Financial Bet

On July 1, Rob Waters moved to San Francisco, leaving most of his belongings behind and arriving with two suitcases and a box of computer equipment. Without an income and living off his savings, he did not meet the criteria for some apartments but eventually signed a lease for a two-bedroom unit. About two months after settling in, his wife and son joined him; their home in Virginia was put up for sale. Since leaving Google, he has been living off his savings and has not taken a salary, a deliberate choice to focus on his company. Before relocating, he had split his time between Virginia and California during the first six months of 2026, then decided to move to accelerate the business.

Kanawai AI Builds an AI Registry and Initiates Pre-Seed Fundraising

Kanawai AI is developing an AI registry system primarily aimed at commercial and enterprise clients, featuring visibility, governance, and security functionalities. The company states it is in the early stages but is already onboarding clients, partnering with larger technology providers, and starting a pre-seed fundraising round in San Francisco. Rob Waters explains that he waited until January, after severing ties with Google, to actively launch the venture to avoid any legal issues, then partnered with a former colleague who had also left Google. He believes the California ecosystem offers better access to founders, builders, and investors, and highlights his years of experience in AI and data, which he thinks will be beneficial moving forward.

From Layoff to Return Offer: Six Figures Left on the Table

In November 2025, while flying to Los Angeles to meet a client, Rob Waters saw his computer restart and lost access to his account. An email from HR informed him that he was part of a layoff and that his position was no longer needed; access was cut off immediately, and he had to cancel the client meeting from his personal email. Arriving around 12:30 PM, he discovered a message from his manager for a call scheduled at 8:30 AM Eastern Time, which led him to wake up around 5:30 AM after about two hours of sleep. Informed of a role in a new team being formed, he received an offer in early December with a six-figure salary. Accepting would have allowed him to regain financial security and let his stock options continue to vest. However, he estimated that declining would mean giving up about six figures in equity. He turned it down despite the financial stakes, a decision made with consideration for his wife and son.

Journey at Google, Frustrations, and Entrepreneurial Choices

Before his departure, Rob Waters had spent nearly six years at Google, where he led the data analytics and AI sales team for the public sector. He says he was frustrated by certain bureaucracies and the way the reorganization was handled, believing that his efforts culminated in a layoff. Starting his own business had long been a goal, and he considers the layoff to have facilitated his transition to entrepreneurship. He officially declined the return offer. At 42 years old, he is now co-founding Kanawai AI in San Francisco. He advises tech professionals not to settle into comfort and to aim for sometimes uncomfortable growth. He claims to have realized his first dream by working at Google for nearly six years and is now betting on the second, without guarantees, in Silicon Valley.