A software engineer from India, Soham Parekh, has landed at the centre of a global tech storm after revelations that he secretly held full-time roles at three to five U.S.-based startups simultaneously. The controversy emerged from a viral post by Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Playground AI and Mixpanel, who accused Parekh of “preying on YC companies” and working under false pretences.
Exposed on X: Startups Speak Out
Doshi’s denunciation on X prompted several founders to corroborate. Lindy CEO Flo Crivello said Parekh “nailed interviews” but was gone within a week, while Antimetal’s Matthew Parkhurst described him as “smart and likable” yet quickly dismissed him upon learning of concurrent roles. Additional voices from Fleet AI, Create, and others echoed the same refrain: Parekh impressed in interviews but vanished during delivery. The backlash raises urgent questions about remote work ethics and hiring accountability in fast-moving startup ecosystems.
Parekh Speaks: ‘Necessity, Not Greed’
In a candid interview with TBPN, Parekh admitted moonlighting and conceded: “I’m not proud of what I’ve done… no one really likes to work 140 hours a week, but I had to do it out of necessity.” He attributed his actions to severe financial distress, not deceitful intent, and denied subcontracting code to others, asserting he personally wrote every line . Now, he has signed on with Darwin Studios, promising exclusivity and a commitment to rebuild trust.
Wider Impact: Lessons for the Startup World
The incident underscores the vulnerabilities of hyper-distributed hiring models and remote onboarding. Founders on X and Reddit debated the need for deeper vetting and contract enforcement. Industry critics warn that Parekh’s case may be the tip of a larger trend in “overemployment,” where engineers exploit gig-hungry models by juggling multiple full-time roles . Tech veterans suggest this marks a shift in workplace norms, emphasizing the challenge of balancing talent acquisition with trust in the digital era.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.