331: Rethinking Legal Access, Work, and Meaning with Rafie Faruq, Co-Founder & CEO of Genie AI

Rafie Faruq is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Genie, a platform launched in 2017 to make high-quality legal documents accessible through open-source tools. 

Since then, Genie has served over 100,000 users across 120 jurisdictions and recently raised an $18M Series A from Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures. Rafie holds an MSc in Machine Learning, has advised the Law Policy Commission, contributed to the Law Society, and represented the Ministry of Justice on international trade missions. 

He also teaches meditation and is a mentor to many seeking meaning and clarity in life.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Rafie Faruq’s unconventional path from bond trader to AI entrepreneur and what drove him to apply machine learning to legal access.
  
  
• How his early research on generative models led to new ways of thinking about document creation and automation.
  
  
• Why he believes the current definition of intelligence is outdated—and what a more human-centered version could look like.
  
  
• The role of emotional intelligence, purpose, and social connection in a future shaped by automation.
  
  
• What it means to build a business rooted in spiritual principles—and how Rafie applies concepts like rhythm, balance, and nature to team building.
  
  
• His reflections on power, responsibility, and why founders should see themselves as stewards of broader societal change.

Resources:

• Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work Newsletter: https://aiandwork.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Connect with Rafie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfaruq/
• AI fun fact article: https://www.mixonline.com/blog/mix-blog-who-wrote-that-ai-and-copyright-law
• On Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/linda-rottenberg-endeavor-co-founder-and-ceo/id1476885647?i=1000517670973