An Indian tech professional, Soham Parekh, has found himself at the center of a heated debate in Silicon Valley after being accused of moonlighting at multiple US startups. The controversy erupted after Suhail Doshi, co-founder and former CEO of Mixpanel, publicly called out Parekh on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that he was secretly working for three to four startups simultaneously, deceiving early-stage companies, including several backed by Y Combinator.
Doshi's post quickly went viral, garnering over 20 million views and sparking a flurry of reactions from other founders and members of the tech community. Many shared similar experiences of hiring and quickly firing Parekh, while others debated the ethics of moonlighting and the responsibility of employers to conduct thorough background checks. The hashtag #SohamGate even began trending, highlighting the widespread attention the case has received.
Parekh, an Indian software engineer, has now publicly admitted to the allegations. In an interview, he confessed that he did work at multiple Silicon Valley startups simultaneously, attributing his actions to "extremely dire financial circumstances". "It is true," Parekh confirmed. "I'm not proud of what I've done. That's not something I endorse either. But no one really likes to work 140 hours a week, I had to do it out of necessity".
According to his CV, Parekh holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai and a master's degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His resume boasts stints at several tech firms, including Dynamo AI, Union AI, Synthesia, and Alan AI, primarily in engineering and technical roles. Doshi, however, questioned the authenticity of Parekh's resume, claiming that 90% of it appeared to be fake.
Parekh explained that he relocated to the US in 2020 with plans to start graduate school in 2018, but his financial situation forced him to abandon his academic pursuits. "I was in extremely dire financial circumstances," he said. "I'm not a very people person. I don't share much about what's going on in my life. So I just thought: if I work multiple places, maybe I can elevate myself out of the situation faster". He acknowledged that his actions weren't defensible but emphasized that they stemmed from desperation, not malicious intent.
Despite the controversy, Parekh announced that he had secured a founding engineer position at an AI video startup. "Earlier today, I signed an exclusive founding deal to be founding engineer at one company and one company only," he posted on X. "They were the only ones who gave me a chance".
The incident has ignited a broader discussion about remote work ethics, trust in hiring practices, and the pressures faced by tech professionals in high-cost areas like Silicon Valley. Some have defended Parekh's actions, arguing that he was simply trying to make ends meet in a difficult economic climate. Others have criticized his deception, pointing out that it undermines trust and fair competition in the industry. The debate continues to unfold, raising important questions about the future of work and the responsibilities of both employers and employees in the modern tech landscape.
