Entrepreneur Perspectives

Ankit Somani | From Google to Conifer: Rare-Earth-Free Motors, $20M Seed, and Rethinking College | EP187

Listen Later

Conifer co-founder Ankit Somani left Google to build something with more heart — and fewer rare-earth magnets.

Backed by a $20M seed round, Conifer is making electric motors that are clean, compact, and don’t rely on China-controlled materials. In this conversation, Ankit talks about the problem they’re solving, what it’s like building real hardware in a software-driven world, and why he’s telling his kids not to go to college.

We also get into the mindset side of entrepreneurship: parenting in the age of AI, staying grounded through spiritual practice, hiring for “high agency,” and handling the daily chaos of startup life.

This isn’t a pitch deck. It’s the real conversation founders actually want to hear.

Inside This Episode:
  • From Google to hardware: Why Ankit left Big Tech to build with heart
  • What Conifer is doing differently with rare-earth-free electric motors
  • The overlooked environmental impact of small gas engines
  • Why Ankit tells his kids they’re not going to college — and what he wants them to learn instead
  • Hiring high-agency people: What actually stands out (hint: not your GPA)
  • The fundraising surprises: How a cold pitch turned into a $20M seed round
  • How he stays grounded through the chaos of startup life
  • What parenting looks like in the age of AI (and Alexa bedtime routines)
  • Building real company culture — especially when hardware teams need to be in person
  • Is the Bay Area still worth it? Ankit pushes back on the media doom narrative
    • Chapters:
    • 00:34 – Leaving Big Tech: Finding the “Heart” in Your Work
    • 03:57 – Advice for Young Grads: Where Do You Fit In?
    • 05:57 – Hiring: What Ankit Really Looks For (It’s Not Your GPA)
    • 07:37 – Is College Still Worth It? (And How Ankit Met His Co-Founder)
    • 09:20 – Building a Hardware Team: Why In-Person Matters
    • 10:25 – Telling Your Startup’s Story Authentically
    • 12:11 – More on Fundraising: The Power of a Cold Pitch
    • 13:54 – The Bay Area: Still a Hotspot for Talent?
    • 18:05 – Why Ankit Tells His Kids “You’re Not Going to College”
    • 21:28 – The Problem Conifer is Solving (Those Noisy, Dirty Small Engines)
    • 22:25 – Conifer’s Fix: Cleaner Motors, No Rare Earths & $20M Backing
    • 25:29 – How Conifer Works with Big Brands (OEMs)
    • 27:12 – Getting People to Go Electric: It’s More Than Just Being “Green”
    • 29:33 – What We Can Learn from China’s Electric Vehicle Market
    • 32:14 – New Tech: What’s Government’s Role vs. Market Competition?
    • 36:29 – Keeping Up with AI and the Fast Pace of Change
    • 40:43 – How Ankit Uses AI in His Daily Life and Work
    • 43:23 – Parenting with Tech: Managing Screens and AI for Kids
    • 46:10 – Staying Grounded as a Founder (The Bhagavad Gita)
    • 47:52 – Riding the Startup Rollercoaster: Handling Highs and Lows
    • 50:33 – Connecting with Ankit & Learning More About Conifer
      • Ankit Somani & Conifer
      • Conifer
      • Ankit Somani on LinkedIn
      • TechCrunch: Conifer locks down $20M seed round for its drop-in electric hub motor

        • Related episodes: 

        • How Zac Townsend and Meanwhile Are Rebuilding a $1T Industry
        • Fatherhood and Untangling Expectations with Vin Infante
        • AI Content Detection & Digital Ethics with Madeleine Lambert

          • Entrepreneur Perspectives is produced by QuietLoud Studios — a modern media network and a KazSource brand.

          Get in touch with Eric Kasimov:

          x.com/eric_kaz
          linkedin.com/in/erickasimov

          Credits:

          Music by Jess & Ricky: SoundCloud

          The post Ankit Somani | From Google to Conifer: Rare-Earth-Free Motors, $20M Seed, and Rethinking College | EP187 appeared first on KazSource.

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          Entrepreneur PerspectivesBy Eric Kasimov | QuietLoud Studios
          • 5
          • 5
          • 5
          • 5
          • 5

          5

          62 ratings

          More shows like Entrepreneur Perspectives

          View all
          The Sports Backdrop by KazSource, Inc

          The Sports Backdrop

          45 Listeners

          Content Matterz by Eric Kasimov

          Content Matterz

          11 Listeners

          Athlete Mindset by SportsE Media | hosted by Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC

          Athlete Mindset

          12 Listeners

          BuckeyE Focused by SportsE Media | Nate Oliver and Eric Kasimov

          BuckeyE Focused

          4 Listeners

          Saviors of the Metaverse by QuietLoud Studios

          Saviors of the Metaverse

          10 Listeners

          From The Players by KazSource

          From The Players

          15 Listeners

          Sports& by SportsEpreneur

          Sports&

          0 Listeners

          Altered State of Affairs by Jerald Kasimov

          Altered State of Affairs

          3 Listeners

          NIL4U by Rob Finklestein and Trent M. Clark

          NIL4U

          0 Listeners

          Wings with Blue Cheese by Evan Harrington & Joel Frazee

          Wings with Blue Cheese

          0 Listeners