In the last week, social media has been buzzing with stories about Soham Parekh, a software engineer who has been secretly juggling multiple jobs at Silicon Valley startups for years. But who is this mysterious moonlighter, and why is Silicon Valley so fascinated by him?
Origins of the buzz
It all started when Suhail Doshi, CEO of Playground AI, called out Parekh for working at multiple startups at once. Doshi fired Parekh a year ago for the same reason and warned others to beware.
This post went viral, with many other founders sharing similar experiences with Parekh. CEOs like Flo Crivello from Lindy and Matt Parkhurst from Antimetal confirmed that they had hired and fired Parekh due to his double-dipping ways.
Parekh’s journey
Parekh also tried his luck at Sync Labs and applied to several Y Combinator-backed startups. Despite his deception, Parekh’s technical skills landed him job offers at various companies.
Parekh’s perspective
In a recent interview, Parekh admitted to working multiple jobs since 2022. He claimed he did it to improve his skills and earn more income due to financial difficulties. However, his actions have taken a toll on his health and reputation.
What now?
Despite being labeled a scam artist, Parekh announced his new job at Darwin Studios, a startup focused on AI video remixing. Whether he can turn this viral moment into a successful business remains to be seen.
In classic Silicon Valley fashion, Parekh seems to be trying to capitalize on his notoriety. Only time will tell if he can navigate the fallout of his actions and find success in the tech industry.
