Latest news with #DarwinStudios
Mint
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Moonlighting pro Soham Parekh secures new job at AI startup after Silicon Valley scandal, 'He'll prove everyone wrong'
Soham Parekh, the software engineer making headlines for secretly working for multiple startups simultaneously, has found a new full-time job opportunity. Following backlash over moonlighting, the techie secured a new opportunity with Darwin Studios, based in San Francisco. At this new role as a founding engineer, he will help build an AI-powered video remixing platform called Wayve. In a statement, Darwin's CEO and founder Sanjit Juneja commended the techie, accused of juggling multiple jobs at once, and suggested that there is 'something even greater to prove than just his love for software.' Calling Parekh a '10x engineer,' he defended his recruitment and said, "Soham is an incredibly talented engineer, and we believe in his abilities to help bring our products to market." He suggested that there is 'something even greater to prove than just his love for software.' Meanwhile, Soham Parekh admitted that he will no longer be taking on multiple jobs. Founder of AI company HyperSpell, Conor Brennan-Burke, also offered an engineering role to Parekh in his company and said that he believes in second chances. Sharing the e-mail, Burke wrote, 'He's definitely learned his lesson now and is going to work insanely hard to prove everyone wrong. Massive opportunity to bring on top talent with a chip on their shoulder.' Soham Parekh's moonlighting scandal first surfaced when Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi exposed the Indian techie and called him a "scammer" on X. The warning message stated, '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.' The consequences of this post that followed left Soham Parekh in trouble as he was fired from multiple roles while several recruiters flagged him as a risky hire. Soham Parekh confessed that 'dire financial hardship drove him to make those decisions' about providing false narratives on his whereabouts and his employment situation during his appearance US technology show TBPN show. He said, 'I'm not proud of what I did," about and deceiving employers and added, 'I wish I had the money.' He clarified that he did not hire junior developers and began taking multiple jobs in 2022, 'before the CoPilot boom' during his stint with US-based startups.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Did ‘scammer' techie Soham Parekh land another lucrative job offer? Startup founder says he's looking for ‘greedy' engineers
Amidst online criticism for allegedly working multiple jobs, software engineer Soham Parekh received a job offer from HyperSpell's founder, Conor Brennan-Burke, who saw it as an opportunity for redemption. Parekh, acknowledging his actions, secured a position at Darwin Studios. Despite mixed reactions, the incident sparked debate about second chances and professional ethics within the tech community. A techie who has been accused of moonlighting at several startups has been offered a job by another founder. (Representative image) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A Surprising Job Offer Amid Controversy Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Divided Reactions Online Parekh Speaks Out The Man Behind the Headlines In the midst of an online uproar targeting Indian software engineer Soham Parekh , who has been accused of clandestinely working for several U.S.-based startups at the same time, one entrepreneur has gone against the tide by offering him employment. While digital platforms were flooded with criticism over Parekh's alleged misconduct, Conor Brennan-Burke , the founder of AI company HyperSpell, extended an olive branch online commentators condemned Parekh's actions, Brennan-Burke adopted a more forgiving stance. He viewed Parekh's situation as a chance to recruit talent under pressure to redeem itself. The AI startup head shared publicly that he believed Parekh had likely realized the gravity of his decisions and was now highly motivated to prove skeptics wrong. In Brennan-Burke's view, this made him an ideal candidate—someone with both experience and something to also published the email he sent to Parekh. In the message, he referenced Parekh's previous work with well-known startups and mentioned that HyperSpell was actively hiring engineers. He invited Parekh for an informal conversation, indicating an openness to reintegrate him into the industry rather than shut him out."Burke also shared the email he wrote to Parekh, inviting him to be a part of his tech team. "Hi Soham, Saw that you've worked with quite a few successful startups and heard you might be on the market. We're hiring engineers right now. Let me know if you're open to a casual chat next week," the e-mail the e-mail, Burke tweeted, "Be greedy when others are fearful."Despite Brennan-Burke's attempt at rehabilitation, he received pushback from others in the tech community. Critics warned against employing individuals accused of lacking professional ethics. One user even described Parekh as someone of questionable integrity. In response, Brennan-Burke stood firm, arguing that everyone should be allowed the opportunity to make amends. He encouraged others to support what he called Parekh's potential comeback the wave of attention, Parekh revealed in a now-removed social media post that he had accepted a position with another AI company, Darwin Studios. This marked his first public acknowledgment of the allegations. During an interview with The Big Programming Network (TBPN), Parekh admitted his actions had not been commendable and expressed stressed that he managed all the workload himself and never outsourced tasks to junior coders. He further clarified that he had not used artificial intelligence tools to perform his duties and stated he began balancing multiple jobs in 2022—well before AI tools like GitHub Copilot became Parekh is a software developer from India with an impressive academic background. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai, graduating with an exceptional GPA of 9.83 out of 10. He then pursued further education in the United States, obtaining a Master's in computer science from the Georgia Institute of allegations against him first surfaced when Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Mixpanel and Playground AI, issued a warning to other founders on X (formerly Twitter). Doshi accused Parekh of deceiving several startups into hiring him simultaneously and specifically stated that Parekh had been exploiting companies backed by Y Combinator. Since then, at least six tech executives have come forward, acknowledging that Parekh was on their teams and had been dismissed once his dual employment became the incident has left Parekh's professional reputation in question, the gesture from Brennan-Burke and the job offer from Darwin Studios signal that redemption may not be out of reach.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indian techie Soham Parekh facing backlash over moonlighting announces he has found a full-time job
Soham Parekh, a software engineer accused of secretly working for multiple startups simultaneously, has joined AI startup Darwin Studios as a founding engineer, marking a new chapter after a heated controversy in Silicon Valley. The announcement follows intense criticism over Parekh's moonlighting, which he attributed to financial hardships. In his first public comments since the scandal broke, Parekh told TBPN, a U.S. technology show, 'I'm not proud of what I did.' He admitted to juggling jobs at five companies but denied employing junior developers to manage the workload, emphasizing, 'I wish I had the money.' Parekh also clarified that he began taking multiple jobs in 2022, 'before the CoPilot boom,' and did not rely on AI tools to handle his tasks. The controversy erupted when Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi exposed Parekh on X, warning, '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.' The post, referencing startup accelerator Y Combinator, led to swift consequences: Parekh was fired from multiple roles, and recruiters flagged him as a risky hire. Despite the backlash, Parekh has found a new opportunity with Darwin Studios, where he will help build Wayve, an AI-powered video remixing platform. Sanjit Juneja, the startup's founder, praised Parekh as a '10x engineer' with 'something even greater to prove than just his love for software.' The scandal has reignited debates in tech circles about the ethics of moonlighting and the pressures of startup culture. Critics have labeled Parekh's actions fraudulent, while others argue the incident exposes deeper issues in the industry's demand for relentless productivity and the lack of oversight in remote work. Parekh's move to Darwin Studios signals a fresh start, but his story continues to spark discussions about trust, hustle, and accountability in the fast-paced world of tech startups. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Soham Parekh joins Darwin Studios after Silicon Valley backlash for moonlighting
Synopsis Soham Parekh faced criticism for working multiple jobs. He cited financial difficulties as the reason. Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi warned about Parekh's simultaneous employment. Parekh lost his jobs due to this. He has now joined Darwin Studios as a founding engineer. He will develop Wayve, an AI video remixing platform. Sanjit Juneja confirmed Parekh's appointment.
