Latest news with #SohamParekh
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The job juggler the tech world can't stop talking about speaks out
A seemingly overemployed engineer has sparked a round of memes and self-reflection in tech this week. Indian software engineer, Soham Parekh, was accused online by a founder this week of working at three to four startups simultaneously. The founder's X post set off a firestorm in the industry, with other founders chiming in to say they, too, hired — and fired — him. Parekh appeared on the tech podcast "TBPN" on Thursday and confirmed he had juggled multiple jobs. "I wanna preface by saying that I'm not proud of what I've done. That's not something that I endorse either," Parekh said. "No one really likes to work 140 hours a week, but I had to do this kind of out of necessity. I was in extremely dire financial circumstances." Parekh spoke to "TBPN" hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays about why he chose to work for multiple startups at the same time and how he got hired. On the podcast, he referred to himself as a "serial non-sleeper." He said that he did not hire a team of junior engineers to help him accomplish tasks at various jobs or use AI to get the work done. He said on the podcast that he worked for many of the companies prior to the boom in AI-assisted programming. "This was not a business to me. Every company that I've worked with, I deeply cared about," Parekh did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. The brouhaha started when Suhail Doshi, the founder of Playground AI, posted on X on Tuesday about a former software engineer who he said previously worked for his company. He accused Parekh of moonlighting for multiple startups. 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. I fired this guy in his first week and told him to stop lying / scamming people. He hasn't stopped a year later. No more excuses. — Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025 Founders of multiple companies confirmed with BI that a man named Soham Parekh had worked for or interviewed with them. Several said they quickly realized he was overemployed and let him go. Parekh did not discuss being fired on the podcast. Igor Zalutski, the CEO of Digger, told BI that Parekh passed his interviews "with flying colors" and said the company was "super excited for him to start" before the hiring process was halted on June 30 because of a background check issue. He did not elaborate on the specifics. "I think he's genuinely a brilliant engineer," Zalutski said, adding, "Soham seemed clearly one of the top 0.1%; anyone can learn to do coding puzzles, but very few can do technical problem solving entirely in their head, while keeping the user and business in mind." Kevin Wu, the founder and CEO of Leaping AI, told BI that Parekh was employed by the company briefly, but was let go for "his underperformance on the job" and after they found out he was employed by other startups. A spokesperson for Synthesia also confirmed to BI that Parekh was briefly employed at the company and said that part of the reason he was let go was that it suspected he was working other jobs. Matt Parkhurst, the CEO of Antimetal, wrote on X that Parekh is "really smart and likable," but he was let go after the company found out about his other jobs. Antimetal did not immediately respond to a request for further information. Though the timeline of when Parekh worked at which company is not entirely clear, a June 2021 blog post by Meta shows that Parekh was a WebXR contributor working on immersive AR/VR examples through the Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship at that time. In California, where most of these startups are based, there is no law against working for multiple companies simultaneously, even if they are competitors. It's unclear what Parekh had agreed to in his contracts. His job-juggling has sparked discussion around the phenomenon of similar overemployment. "There are 1000s of Soham Parekhs we don't know about," Deedy Das, a principal at Menlo Ventures focused on AI investments, wrote on X. "To be clear, this is a complete non-issue if your employment contract is okay with it." Overemployment grew in popularity during the pandemic, when some workers took advantage of fully remote opportunities to rake in multiple six-figure salaries. Tech leaders chimed in to offer thoughts, jokes, and memes about the situation. Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder, mused on X, "What do you think Soham Parekh's LinkedIn header is?" Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, said in a post Wednesday, "If soham immediately comes clean and says he was working to train an AI Agent for knowledge work, he raises at $100M pre by the weekend." The memes keep coming, including one shared by Flo Crivello, founder and CEO of Lindy, a San Francisco-based AI company, with a nod to "The Social Network." The meme read: "You can't get to 500 million jobs without making a few enemies."
India Today
5 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Why Soham Parekh, the startup scammer, isn't the only one to blame
He had a catchy resume, whizzed past interviews and landed jobs at not one, but over 15 Silicon Valley startups. However, Indian techie Soham Parekh's only blip was that he was working at all of those startups at once - a moonlighting saga that has made him famous overnight and earned him an avalanche of how did Soham manage to pull it off in an age where background checks can be done with a simple click? Experts pointed out that it may be more than it meets the Soham's flight of fancy was busted by Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Playground AI, the founders of the startups where Soham worked wasted no time in coming out and accused him of deception and resume fraud. Yes, he might have exploited the loopholes of remote work culture, but how did he get past the verification process? Several users on X questioned how the startups did not even verify his location."He lies about his location. We thought we were hiring someone in the US. Even sent a laptop to a US address. Got it back! Allegedly, it was sent to his 'sister'," Suhail wrote while outing Soham's modus PROCESS?The US Tech Workers, a non-profit organisation operating under the Institute for Sound Public Policy, raised a pertinent question. How did Soham get past the I-9 employment eligibility verification process?As per rules, employers in the US have to mandatorily fill Form I-9 to verify an employee's identity and legal authorisation to work in America. It has to be substantiated using documents such as a valid visa and Social Security Number (SSN).SSN is a nine-digit number issued to US citizens, permanent residents, and temporary or working case raises questions about whether the startups that hired him diligently followed the verification process or bypassed it completely in a bid to hire talent media users pointed out that the startups might have remained silent as it was a win-win situation - get talent without having to break the bank."We all know the reason why - the amount paid would have been much less than what others based in the US would have demanded. So, the companies who are just blaming it on the employee are either being too naive or just plainly deflecting the blame on the weakest link," a user tweeted, "Now, it's managers who want to delegate before they can afford, so they hire cheap foreign labour so they can sit back and post about how great their startup is."Moreover, none also bothered to verify his resume. Sharing Soham's CV, the Playground AI founder pointed out that 90% of the content was fabricated, and the provided links were no longer WORK FRAUDadvertisementHowever, the story doesn't end the magnitude of the deception started unravelling, another US-based entrepreneur mentioned how the Indian techie used the tensions between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor to "guilt-trip" AI co-founder Arkadiy Telegin, who shared screenshots of his chats with Soham, claimed that the Indian techie pretended to be in a conflict zone during the hostilities and cited it for the delay in completing his said the Soham Parekh story was just "the tip of the iceberg", exposing a growing trend of remote work fraud.A viral LinkedIn post by Deedy Das, a tech investor, has detailed how several such Soham Parekhs were exploiting the remote model - using mouse jigglers (a tool with which one can simulate the movement of a mouse) and outsourcing his post, the investor cited a Reddit thread where an engineer claimed to be earning USD 8,00,000 per year juggling five the row, Soham, in an interview, said his actions were driven by a financial crunch and suggested that he worked 140 hours a Deedy Das suggested the claims to be misleading and fraud and pointed out flaws in his resume. "All this while saying he didn't want to 'center a div for 6hrs' in BigTech," Das tweeted.- EndsTrending Reel
News18
5 hours ago
- Business
- News18
‘Drone Strike Near My Home': Indian Techie Lied During Op Sindoor To Skip Work, Says Ex-Boss
Soham Parekh allegedly manipulated his US employer by falsely claiming to be in a war zone during the India-Pakistan military standoff. Soham Parekh, the Indian tech professional embroiled in a massive moonlighting scandal involving over 30 startups, is now facing fresh allegations- this time of lying about being in a conflict zone during Operation Sindoor in order to avoid work. Arkadiy Telegin, co-founder of the US-based AI startup Leaping AI, claimed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Soham Parekh emotionally manipulated him in May by pretending to be under threat during the cross-border escalation. According to Arkadiy Telegin, Soham Parekh falsely claimed that a drone had struck near his home in Mumbai. 'Soham used to guilt-trip me for being slow on PRs when the India-Pakistan thing was going on, all while he was in Mumbai," Arkadiy Telegin posted, sharing screenshots of their chat. In one message, Soham Parekh wrote, 'Drone shot down 10 minutes away", later adding that a nearby building was damaged- a claim now believed to be entirely fabricated. Arkadiy Telegin accused Soham Parekh of using the situation to stall work and deflect accountability, calling the incident 'manipulative and dishonest." He added sarcastically, 'The next person should hire him for the Chief Intelligence Officer role." The latest revelation follows an industry-wide uproar over Soham Parekh's admission that he was simultaneously employed by 34 different startups, many of them backed by leading accelerator Y Combinator. Suhail Doshi, former CEO of Mixpanel, was among the first to flag the issue, revealing that he terminated Soham Parekh within a week of hiring him. Other startup founders soon followed with similar experiences. One halted Soham Parekh's trial period after seeing Suhail Doshi's post while another said they discovered his overlapping employment only after conducting their own background check. Soham Parekh Admits To Deception Soham Parekh admitted to working multiple jobs without disclosure, saying, 'It is true. I'm not proud of what I've done. But I had to do this out of necessity. I was in extremely dire financial circumstances." He claimed to have handled all assigned work himself without outsourcing or relying on AI tools and said he worked up to 140 hours a week. Soham Parekh Now Hired By AI Startup Darwin Despite the controversy, Soham Parekh landed a new job with Darwin, a San Francisco-based AI startup. Darwin's CEO, Sanjit Juneja, expressed support for the hire, saying, 'Soham is an incredibly talented engineer, and we believe in his abilities to help bring our products to market." Soham Parekh confirmed that he has ended all other engagements and signed an exclusive agreement with Darwin. In a post, he wrote, 'I've been isolated, written off and shut out by nearly everyone I've known and every company I've worked at. But building is the only thing I've ever truly known, and it's what I'll keep doing."
News18
6 hours ago
- Business
- News18
After Moonlighting, Techie Soham Parekh Accused Of Manipulating CEOs With Operation Sindoor
Last Updated: The businessman shared a screenshot of a conversation he had with Soham Parekh during the events of Operation Sindoor. Soham Parekh, the Indian techie accused of moonlighting for several companies, has been at the centre of a controversy. With many companies coming forward with their own experience of getting scammed by Parekh, another American co-founder has shared a concerning incident involving the techie. The latest case involves allegations of manipulating his employers emotionally in the name of Operation Sindoor. Leaping AI founder Arkadiy Telegin added more to the discussion on X by sharing an anecdote from the time of Operation Sindoor. Calling it an India-Pakistan thing, he also shared a screenshot of a conversation with an individual appearing to be Soham Parekh. 'Soham also used to guilt-trip me for his being slow on PRs when the India-Pakistan thing was going on, all while he was in Mumbai. Next person should hire him for the Chief Intelligence Officer role," the CTO wrote in the post. The conversation shows Soham speaking about a drone attack near his house, further adding that he has been told to stay at home. Telegin explained, 'Context here is that Mumbai was nowhere near the conflict, being 1000km+ away from Jammu & Kashmir." Carried out by the Indian Armed Forces, Operation Sindoor was a calibrated military operation in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The forces targeted terrorist sites and camps through airstrikes and missiles. At the time of the operation, while states bordering Pakistan like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh were on high alert, Maharashtra had no major reports of airstrikes or attacks as claimed in the text messages. The post instantly reignited online criticism towards Parekh, with many calling out his repeated instances of scamming employees. One wrote, 'This guy single-handedly destroyed the reputation of remote work for devs while adding fuel to the fire on racism against India," while another added, 'Oh my God! On the one hand, it's funny ngl, but on the other hand, once you abuse the trust in a high-trust society, there's going to be consequences. Soham himself may get away as he looks to be a pretty cracked dev, but the consequences could be on others…sigh." Another comment read, 'What a way to tarnish the image of the hard-working population of India." Amid the intense backlash against Soham, the techie has publicly admitted to working at multiple companies at the same time, citing his financial distress. First Published:
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First Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
Soham Parekh and moonlighting: Why this is a rising trend among India techies
Indian techie Soham Parekh has been accused of working for multiple startups in Silicon Valley. His case has shed light on moonlighting, which has seen an uptick in the Indian IT sector. But why do some employees work second jobs while holding full-time employment? And why is it a red flag for many employers? read more Moonlighting is once again grabbing headlines after an Indian tech professional was accused of working for multiple startups in Silicon Valley. The case came to light after Suhail Doshi, co-founder and former CEO of analytics platform Mixpanel, called out Soham Parekh on X for his alleged actions. Moonlighting has been a contentious topic in India, despite the concept being prevalent in other nations. The phenomenon has increased in recent years, especially in the Indian tech sector. But why? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look. Rise of moonlighting in the India IT sector Moonlighting, or holding a second job while having full-time employment, has increased in India since remote work became common during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to background verification firm AuthBridge, five out of every 100 candidates have two jobs. Roughly 90 per cent of these cases are from the IT services sector, mostly in Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, Times of India (TOI) reported. Background verification firm OnGrid has already conducted 23,000 employment verifications in the first six months of 2025, compared to the total of 26,000 last year. The main factor behind the rise in such checks is moonlighting. The firm's screening found 2,900 such cases in the first half of this year, a jump from 2,201 in the entire 2024, as per TOI. Randstad India's report in 2023 revealed a 25-30 per cent surge in moonlighting over the past three years in the Indian IT sector. A 2022 report by job portal Indeed found that 43 per cent of employees in the I ndian tech sector were in favour of moonlighting. However, employees in many other sectors opposed holding simultaneous jobs as most of them considered it 'unethical'. As per the portal's findings, less than one out of five employees, or 19 per cent, surveyed by Indeed wanted to moonlight in India, while the remaining were not interested in getting an additional job. Moonlighting has been a contentious topic in India. Representational Image/Pixabay While employees in other sectors may not approve of the practice, moonlighting remains acceptable among Indian techies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A 2022 survey by Mumbai-based Kotak Institutional Equities found that nearly 65 per cent of IT employees said they or someone they knew had been moonlighting or pursuing part-time opportunities while doing remote work. Why do employees moonlight? Amid job uncertainty and poor hikes, employees are seeking ways to meet their financial needs. Many young tech workers are resorting to moonlighting for the money they are unable to make in their first job. 'The root cause is the money, software developers are not paid proportionate to the amount of work that they are doing. I think a lot of us would not moonlight if we feel we are paid fairly,' Abhishek, a software developer in Bangalore, told CNBC in 2023. Moonlighting is not new in India, but it has become more common since the pandemic brought job uncertainty. Speaking to BBC, employment-law expert Veena Gopalakrishnan said that the practice has 'become more rampant post-pandemic, with employees working remotely, infrequent or relaxed employer supervision, and increased time and bandwidth for employees to take up another job'. As per Indeed's report, techies and a few others who engage in a side hustle do so for two main reasons: to safeguard against job loss and supplement their incomes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'These include the desire to supplement their income due to low salaries and rising inflation, the need for financial independence, the impact of the pandemic on job security, and the quest for entrepreneurial pursuits,' Sashi Kumar, head of sales at Indeed India, was quoted as saying by CNBC. While salaries are comparatively better in Bengaluru, also known as the 'Silicon Valley of India', the cost of living is also higher. But money is not always the reason for employees to moonlight. Some are pursuing their passions or upskilling through a secondary job. Rajan, a full-time employee at a leading software company in Bengaluru, told BBC in 2022 that he has his own YouTube Channel, which he runs anonymously and monetises through advertisements. 'I belong to a middle-class family and have ambitions of studying abroad, and this will help me fund it,' he said. 'The pandemic made me realise that one has to be prepared for the unexpected and have a buffer of savings. I work from home, so I am able to manage both well.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some are working more than one job to grow their contacts. 'With this (working two jobs), one could earn extra and be prepared for the worst. Right now, the scenario is different, but besides money, one can also make contacts, and you will never be short of jobs,' a Delhi-based techie told CNBC-TV18. But moonlighting comes at a cost. Some employees face fatigue and sleep deprivation when they log on to their full-time employment while holding a second job. But even that is not a deterrent for moonlighters. Why employers are unhappy For many employers, moonlighting is a red flag. In 2022, Wipro fired 300 of its employees who were also working for its rival companies. Rishad Premji, the chairman of the tech and consulting firm, said on X about moonlighting in the tech industry: 'This is cheating - plain and simple.' Infosys, which warned its employees that 'dual employment is not permitted' in September 2022, later softened its stance on moonlighting. As per reports, India's second-largest IT services company allowed employees to take up 'gig work' with the prior consent of managers. To curb moonlighting, some companies have started calling back employees to the office or carrying out productivity checks to identify possible slackers. As per the Indeed report, 31 per cent of employers are of the view that employees moonlight as they are not completely engaged in their work, while 23 per cent believe that workers have ample time to hold a second job. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some companies, however, have allowed employees to take up a side hustle, given that there is no conflict of interest. However, Gopalakrishnan told BBC that it is uncommon for employers to get on board with employees taking other jobs when 'there is a conflict of interest, a risk to confidential or proprietary information, or likelihood of the employee's productivity being impacted'. But, at the end, employers may have to bend rules to allow employees to moonlight, at least in the tech sector in India. India is witnessing a talent crunch, specifically skilled labour. 'Talent is scarce today and … if you need the best talent, you got to embrace what the talent likes,' Viswanath PS, managing director and CEO of Randstad India, said to CNBC. 'Previously, the second job was a need for employees, now it has become a want. Once it becomes a want, it's about how employers can pave the way in making accommodations and ensure that both parties' interests are equally protected.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
