- Soham Parekh secretly worked at multiple Silicon Valley startups, impressing with his technical skills but raising ethical questions.
- His story went viral after the founders publicly shared their experiences, sparking debate across the tech world.
- Parekh claims financial hardship drove his actions and has since taken a new role at Darwin Studios, though controversy lingers.
Soham Parekh, a software engineer from India, has become the talk of Silicon Valley after social media exploded with stories of his secret career as a serial moonlighter.
Over the past week, dozens of founders and engineers have come forward, revealing how Parekh managed to work at several high-profile startups simultaneously, often without their knowledge.
The viral saga began when Suhail Doshi, CEO of Playground AI, posted a warning on X, claiming Parekh had been working at three or four startups at the same time.
PSA: there’s a guy named Soham Parekh (in India) who works at 3-4 startups at the same time. He’s been preying on YC companies and more. Beware.
— Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025
I fired this guy in his first week and told him to stop lying / scamming people. He hasn’t stopped a year later. No more excuses.
Doshi’s post quickly racked up 20 million views, prompting other founders—including those from Lindy, Antimetal, and Sync Labs—to share similar experiences.
Each recounted how Parekh impressed in interviews, landed offers, but was eventually let go after his multitasking was discovered.
Despite the controversy, Parekh’s technical skills are widely acknowledged. Founders from YC-backed startups like Reworkd and Cluely described him as a top performer in technical interviews, with strong coding abilities and deep knowledge of tools like React.
However, red flags—such as insisting on remote work, inconsistent stories, and suspicious GitHub activity—often surfaced.
Parekh broke his silence in a recent interview, admitting he’s been juggling multiple jobs since 2022, not out of greed but financial necessity.
He claimed to work 140 hours a week, saying the experience made him a better programmer but took a toll on his health. Parekh denied using AI tools or outsourcing work, insisting he handled all tasks himself.
While some label him a scammer, others see a gifted engineer caught in Silicon Valley’s high-pressure culture.
Parekh has since announced (and quickly deleted) a new role at Darwin Studios, an AI video remixing startup, whose CEO praised his talent.
Whether Parekh’s viral infamy will hinder or help his career remains to be seen, but in an industry known for turning controversy into opportunity, his story is far from over.
Edited by Annette George
