Soham Parekh, an Indian software engineer, is at the center of a controversy for allegedly working simultaneously at multiple startups in the US. The issue gained widespread attention after Suhail Doshi, the co-founder of Mixpanel and founder of Playground AI, posted a warning on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Parekh of "preying on YC companies and more". YC refers to Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator based in San Francisco.
Doshi's post sparked a flurry of responses from other startup founders and executives who shared similar experiences with Parekh. Many acknowledged Parekh's impressive interviewing skills and apparent talent. However, they also revealed that they had discovered Parekh was juggling multiple roles and had subsequently terminated his employment. Flo Crivello, CEO of Lindy, stated that she fired Parekh immediately upon learning about the situation, despite his strong interview performance. Nicolai Ouporov from Fleet AI confirmed that Parekh had been working for "more than 4 startups at any given time" for several years. Matthew Parkhurst, CEO of Antimetal, said that Parekh was their first engineering hire in 2022 and that they quickly realized he was working at multiple companies.
Parekh's resume, which lists experience at several AI companies, including Dynamo AI, Union AI, Synthesia, and Alan AI, is now under scrutiny, with some questioning its authenticity. Doshi himself dismissed the credentials as "probably 90% fake". Parekh reportedly holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai (2020) and a Master's Degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology (2022). However, the veracity of these claims has been questioned.
In a recent interview, Parekh admitted to working at multiple startups concurrently but denied any intention to scam the companies. He reportedly reached out to Doshi, seeking "genuine advice" on how to improve his situation and asking, "Have I completely sabotaged my career?".
The controversy has ignited a debate about remote work, hiring practices, and ethics in the tech industry. Some have admired Parekh's ability to manage multiple roles, while others have criticized his ethics. Some users online have pointed out that Parekh delivered results, with one person saying he finished a task in one hour that usually takes three. The situation has raised questions about how easy it is to get hired remotely with clever interviews and how weak some startup background checks are. It has also sparked discussions about whether moonlighting (working more than one job) is ever acceptable in the tech world. Some worry that this situation could negatively impact those who genuinely need remote work due to various circumstances.
Currently, Parekh has remained silent on his online profiles, offering no official statement. The incident, dubbed "Soham-gate," continues to be discussed in tech circles, with some viewing it as a cautionary tale and others as a consequence of hustle culture.
