Startup founders have recently come forward with alarming accounts regarding Soham Parekh, a tech engineer from India, who has been accused of securing multiple high-paying jobs simultaneously and then ghosting his employers shortly after the onboarding process. These founders claim that Parekh, who was offered salaries reaching up to $200,000 per year, devised creative excuses for his poor performance or delays in delivering work, all while juggling roles at several tech companies.
The controversy began when Suhail Doshi, co-founder and former CEO of Mixpanel, took to X (formerly Twitter) to alert fellow entrepreneurs about Parekh's dubious practices. In his post, Doshi stated, “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.” This warning quickly garnered attention, with numerous founders sharing similar experiences, some even mentioning they still had Parekh on their payroll.
In a follow-up post, Doshi shared Parekh's CV, which boasted impressive work experience and a master's degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. However, the university subsequently stated to Fortune that they could not find any record of enrollment for anyone by that name. This revelation raised further questions about Parekh’s credibility and qualifications.
In an interview on the daily tech show TBPN, Parekh acknowledged that he was indeed managing multiple jobs simultaneously, stating, “I’m not proud of what I’ve done. That’s not something I endorse either. But no one really likes to work 140 hours a week, I had to do it out of necessity.” He explained that his decision stemmed from being in “extremely dire financial circumstances.” When contacted for further comments, Parekh directed Fortune to Sanjit Juneja, CEO of Darwin, who praised Parekh as a talented engineer capable of contributing to innovative software products.
One of the founders affected by Parekh’s actions, Arkadiy Telegin, co-founder of AI startup Leaping AI, described how impressed he was by Parekh during the interview process. “He really crushed my interview,” Telegin said, noting that he had interviewed around 50 candidates before meeting Parekh. Telegin offered him a salary between $160,000 and $200,000, along with equity options, but soon noticed irregularities in Parekh’s work behavior.
Initially, Parekh produced code but was slow and frequently made excuses for delays. Telegin recalled instances where Parekh cited personal emergencies and geopolitical events, despite being far removed from the conflicts he mentioned. Ultimately, Telegin became suspicious and suspected Parekh was secretly taking on other jobs.
As the situation unfolded, Telegin and other founders began to realize that they were all dealing with the same individual. During a conversation with a fellow Y Combinator founder, they discovered they had both interviewed and considered hiring Parekh. “It was just surreal,” Telegin remarked, describing how discussions about their hiring challenges often led to the same name being mentioned.
Marcus Lowe, co-founder of Create, also recounted his experiences with Parekh, who was brought on as a full-time independent contractor but failed to deliver results. Lowe noted that Parekh had made only one appearance at the office and continuously provided excuses for his lack of attendance and productivity.
Other founders reported similar patterns of behavior, with some claiming Parekh had been working multiple jobs for years. One Silicon Valley founder who hired Parekh for a work trial in 2024 ultimately decided against continuing with him due to performance issues and what he perceived as habitual dishonesty. The founder confirmed paying Parekh $2,400 for a week of work.
As startups grapple with the challenges of hiring in a competitive market, the case of Soham Parekh highlights the risks associated with overemployment in the tech industry. Founders are now more cautious about the candidates they consider, especially in a landscape where big tech companies offer lucrative salaries that make it difficult for smaller firms to compete. This saga serves as a cautionary tale for startups navigating the complex world of tech talent acquisition.
