Instead, convinced they were to be the next Beatles, Kaufman went to California to co-manage the San Francisco rock band Earth Quake.
He helped the band get a two-record deal with A&M Records in 1970, and picked up production tips from Lou Adler and Glyn Johns.
By 1975, the label had an artist roster consisting of Earth Quake, Jonathan Richman (with and without the Modern Lovers), The Rubinoos and Greg Kihn.
In addition to his duties as label owner and producer, Kaufman occasionally co-wrote songs with various Beserkley acts under the pseudonym "Rose Bimler".
Kaufman was also an occasional recording artist for Beserkley, releasing singles under the names "Son of Pete" and "Count Slowly and the Four Twenties".
However, after a long run of success, Kihn's 1984 album Kihntagious was a comparative flop, and Kaufman essentially shut down Beserkley.
In 1991, Kaufman co-founded Eastern Light Productions, producing a series of award winning Russian historical documentaries in collaboration with the Soviet Filmmakers' Society, Kinocenter.