Ever been so desperate for money that working six jobs at once seemed like the only option? Well, that’s exactly what Soham Parekh, an Indian-born software engineer, did. His reason? Crushing financial troubles left him believing that working for 140 hours was the only way to survive.
That is, until one tweet from a startup founder blew up his entire secret, leading to him being fired from all the companies.
The first domino fell when Playground AI founder, Suhail Doshi, sounded the alarm on X (formerly Twitter):
Then, founders from Dynamo AI, Lindy, Antimetal, and more stepped forward with similar stories. They had all hired Parekh, completely unaware of his 'scheme' across Silicon Valley. The catch? Every founder had nothing but great things to say about him during the interview process.
Flo Crivello, the CEO of Lindy, a startup that helps people automate their workflows with AI, said he hired Parekh in recent weeks, but fired him after the viral tweet from Doshi. Crivello admitted Parekh performed well and made a good impression.
In the days following the scandal, Parekh finally broke his silence. In an interview, he confessed to working up to 140 hours a week for several startups at the same time. He claimed extreme financial hardship drove him to make that decision, though he insisted he personally completed all assigned work and never outsourced tasks to others.
"I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but I did what I thought I had to do to survive," Parekh explained.
Was He Really Wrong?
I mean… you kinda have to respect the hustler mentality. But let’s be real, the tech world is totally divided on this. On one hand, Parekh’s actions can easily be seen as unethical. When you accept a full-time role, you owe your time, loyalty, and focus to that company. Juggling six jobs in secret? That’s not just breaking trust, it puts projects and teams at risk.
And to add the icing on the cake, Soham even emotionally manipulated his ex-boss, Leaping AI co-founder Arkadiy Telegin, by bringing up the India-Pakistan conflict in May as an excuse for why his work was late.
But then again, you can also look at this from a different angle. Even the founders admitted the guy was talented. He still did his work even on his off days, passed the tests, and performed well. If no one noticed anything until that tweet went viral, doesn’t that say more about the system than it does about him?
Some people argue that tech companies are so caught up in rapid hiring and remote work that basic checks fly right out the window. When that happens, stuff like this is bound to slip through the cracks.
And also, let’s not forget the human side of all this. Soham said financial desperation drove him to do it. With the crazy cost of living, constant layoffs, and pressure to make it, how many people out there might quietly be doing the same thing, just hoping not to get caught?
Lessons Learned for the Tech World
- Run background check, even for startups - Fast hiring is tempting, but basic due diligence like proper reference checks, location verification, and clearer contracts are more important than ever.
- Remote Work Comes With New Risks - While remote work opens global opportunities, it also creates loopholes. Founders and managers need to rethink how they build trust and accountability.
- The System is Flawed Too - This story isn’t just about one engineer. It highlights how economic pressures, immigration challenges, and unrealistic job expectations can push people into desperate choices.
Performance Still Matters - Ironically, most of the founders admitted Parekh did a good job. It raises questions about whether the system values appearances and formalities more than actual output.
Final Thoughts
Was Soham Parekh wrong? Technically, yes. But is he entirely to blame? That’s up for debate. His story is a mirror reflecting not just personal desperation but systemic flaws within the startup world.
One thing is clear, Silicon Valley, and the global tech scene, has a lot to think about.
Anjali Kanabathy (k.viwyaanjali@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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