I was laid off by Google, then asked to come back. I gave up a 6-figure salary and unvested stock to bet on my startup.

Rob Waters was laid off from Google in November 2025 while traveling for work, with his access cut off immediately. He was later offered a new six-figure role at the company but declined, forfeiting unvested equity worth six figures. Waters moved from Virginia to San Francisco and is living off savings while building his AI startup, Kanawai AI. He is 42 years old and cofounded the company.

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