The tech world is buzzing about Soham Parekh — the little-known software engineer who allegedly worked for multiple startups at once and got away with it.
The Callout That Sparked a Storm
It all began with a viral post from Suhail Doshi, founder and former CEO of Mixpanel. On X, he warned other startup founders:
“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 says he fired Parekh during his first week on the job — after discovering dishonesty — and told him to stop deceiving others. But a year later, he claims, Parekh is still doing it.
Within hours, the post exploded across the tech world.
Who Is Soham Parekh?
Until now, Parekh was relatively unknown. But suddenly, his name is everywhere in Silicon Valley.
Startups backed by Y Combinator and major VCs like a16z began checking their teams. At least three founders have now confirmed they fired or are currently employing him — often without realizing he was juggling other jobs.
His case has become a conversation starter in every tech circle, and it’s dividing opinions fast.
Overemployment in the Spotlight
Working multiple jobs remotely — often secretly — is not a new idea. Communities like r/overemployed on Reddit openly discuss how to manage multiple remote roles and paychecks.
Parekh’s story, however, stands out for one reason: he allegedly fooled elite startups, including those in Y Combinator, known for their tough hiring processes.
Some see him as a master manipulator. Others think he’s simply a product of the modern remote work era.
Industry Reacts: Villain or Genius?
Reactions from tech leaders are wildly mixed.
Some are furious:
- He lied. He stole jobs from honest workers.
- Startups waste resources on people like him.
Others are (secretly) impressed:
- “He should start an interview prep company,” joked Chris Bakke, founder of job-matching startup Laskie.
- “Clearly one of the greatest interviewers of all time.”
A few even offered a startup idea:
- Box CEO Aaron Levie wrote that if Parekh claimed he was testing an AI agent for knowledge work, “he raises at $100M pre by the weekend.”
Even Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan chimed in, praising the YC network for helping uncover the fraud.
What Does Soham Say?
In a live interview with The Business Post Network, Parekh addressed the controversy.
“I really did not think this through. It was an action that was done more out of desperation,” he said.
He admits he was in a tough financial spot. He did not deny working at multiple startups, but also didn’t answer directly when asked about faking parts of his résumé.
Still, his reaction to the backlash has been surprisingly calm — even humorous. He posted memes and joked about joining Twitter just one day before the drama exploded.
When LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman asked what Parekh’s headline would be, Parekh replied:
“I don’t have a LinkedIn.”
Instead, his X (Twitter) header is a meme from Disney’s Tangled — a smug character surrounded by angry onlookers. Very fitting.
Why This Story Matters
Soham Parekh’s saga is more than just internet drama.
It’s raising big questions about the remote work culture in tech:
- How many companies really know what their employees are doing remotely?
- Is it possible to game the system when hiring is mostly virtual?
- Should employers rethink how they vet and monitor workers?
And for job seekers? The takeaway is just as real: getting hired at top startups doesn’t always mean playing by the book — but the fallout is real when you get caught.
TL;DR — The Soham Parekh Controversy in a Nutshell
- Soham Parekh worked at several startups at the same time, allegedly without telling anyone.
- Tech leaders are split on whether he’s a villain or a clever rogue.
- His story blew up after Mixpanel’s founder exposed him on X.
- He says he was motivated by financial stress, not fraud.
- Startups and VCs are now rethinking hiring practices, especially for remote teams.