Silicon Valley has been rocked by a controversy dubbed 'Soham-gate', that centres around Soham Parekh, an Indian software engineer who is accused of juggling five full-time jobs at US start-ups without disclosure.
Exposed by Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi recently, Parekh's actions sparked a firestorm of debate about ethics, remote work, and hiring practices.
Described as a 'smart and talented engineer' who aced interviews, Parekh's deception has divided opinions, with some calling him a genius and others a fraud.
Reveal a Multi-tasking Mastermind
Soham Parekh, reportedly born in Mumbai and relocated to the US in 2020, holds a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai (2020) and a Master's in Computer Science from Georgia Tech (2022).
His resume boasts roles at AI startups like DynamoAI and Union.ai, but questions linger about its authenticity, with Doshi claiming it's 'probably 90% fake'.
Parekh allegedly worked at five startups simultaneously, leveraging remote work to conceal his overlapping commitments.
His prowess in interviews, often described as top-tier, allowed him to secure roles at Y Combinator-backed firms, earning an estimated £200,000 ($271,997) annually across multiple salaries.
Spark Intense Backlash
The scandal broke when Doshi posted on X: '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'.
Some X users echoed 'Indian engineer Soham Parekh juggled 3-6 full-time tech jobs, earning up to $200K each', but his undisclosed multitasking sparked controversy. While some admire his hustle, others criticise the ethics, prompting questions about trust and remote hiring.
These posts, while inconclusive, fueled outrage, with startups like Antimetal and Fleet AI confirming they terminated Parekh for similar reasons.
On Reddit's r/CriticalThinkingIndia questioned his multitasking ethics, reflecting mixed sentiments of admiration and condemnation.
Explore Parekh's Defence
Parekh broke his silence on the TBPN podcast, admitting to working multiple jobs since 2022 due to extremely dire financial circumstances.
Soham Parekh gave a podcast interview after going viral.
— Abu (@abuchanlife) July 4, 2025
He admitted working 3–4 jobs at once since 2022, said it wasn’t a scam, blamed financial stress, and claimed he wrote all the code himself.
Honestly… he should just sell a course or build a startup at this point... pic.twitter.com/aFQq7rAfyn
He denied using AI tools or outsourcing work, insisting he wrote every inch of codes himself, often working 140 hours a week.
'I'm not proud of what I've done', he said, attributing his actions to necessity rather than greed. In private messages to Doshi, Parekh expressed remorse, asking, 'Have矫 Have I completely sabotaged my career?'
His X account (@realsohamparekh) defends his passion for building, stating: 'If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I love to build'. Yet, critics argue his deception breached trust, harming startups reliant on dedicated talent.
Redefine Tech Industry Standards
Despite the backlash, Parekh landed a role at Darwin Studios, where founder Sanjit Juneja praised him as a '10x engineer' with potential to redeem himself.
The incident has sparked broader debates about hustle culture, with some arguing startups' high-pressure environments and lax oversight enable such behaviour.
Others see Parekh as a symptom of systemic issues, like underpayment and burnout, pushing workers to extreme measures.
His story challenges the tech industry to balance innovation with ethical accountability, urging founders and employees to foster trust over deception in the remote work era.
