The Rise of Soham Parekh: The Serial Moonlighter Silicon Valley Can’t Ignore
Soham Parekh, a software engineer based in India, has become the center of a viral storm after it was revealed he simultaneously worked at multiple Silicon Valley startups without their knowledge. The controversy began when Suhail Doshi, CEO of Playground AI, exposed Parekh’s moonlighting habits on social media, prompting other founders to share similar experiences.
“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,” Doshi tweeted. This post garnered millions of views and led to Parekh’s dismissal from several companies, including Lindy and Antimetal.
Despite the backlash, Parekh’s technical prowess was undeniable. He aced interviews and even secured founding engineer roles at Y Combinator-backed startups. However, inconsistencies in his background and location raised red flags. For instance, Rohan Pandey of Reworkd discovered Parekh was in India despite claiming to be in the U.S.
In a recent interview, Parekh admitted to working 140 hours a week across multiple jobs, citing financial struggles. He claimed to love his work but acknowledged the ethical gray area. Now, Parekh is attempting to pivot his notoriety into a business opportunity, joining AI video remixing startup Darwin Studios.
Silicon Valley’s reaction has been mixed. While some label him a scam artist, others see potential in his unconventional approach. Whether Parekh’s story ends in redemption or ruin remains to be seen.
