Indian software engineer Soham Parekh has landed in controversy after being accused of moonlighting for multiple Silicon Valley startups. The situation came to light after Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Playground A and Mixpanel, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Parekh had been “preying on YC companies” — referring to startups from the Y Combinator accelerator programme — by showcasing fake work on his resume and underperforming after being hired.
Doshi alleged that Parekh had presented false work samples and took on multiple jobs without informing employers, only to vanish or deliver substandard results once hired. The post quickly gained attention, prompting several other startup founders to share similar experiences.
Parekh Responds in YouTube Interview
In response to the growing criticism, Soham Parekh addressed the matter in an interview with the TBPN YouTube channel. He admitted to moonlighting and revealed he had been working up to “140 hours a week” in an effort to overcome his financial struggles.
“I’m not proud of what I’ve done. That’s not something I endorse either. But financial circumstances. No one really likes to work 140 hours a week, but I had to do it out of necessity. I was in extremely dire financial circumstances,” Parekh said.
Emotional Toll and Isolation
Parekh further opened up about the emotional toll and isolation he experienced while trying to manage multiple jobs in secret. “I’m not a very people person. I don’t share much about what’s going on with my life or my internal thought process,” he said.
“I was getting more stressed, thinking, hey, I want to come out of this situation. What should I do? So it wasn’t really about outreach, but necessity. I thought that if I worked multiple places, I could help myself elevate the situation I was in much faster,” he added.
A Broader Debate Around Moonlighting
Parekh’s case has reignited a broader discussion around moonlighting in the tech industry. While some have criticised his actions as unethical, others have expressed sympathy, citing the pressures many workers face — especially those living abroad with financial responsibilities.
The issue of moonlighting has become a hot topic in recent years. In 2022, Indian IT firms like Wipro and Infosys took a hard stance against employees taking up second jobs, stating that it leads to a conflict of interest and impacts productivity.
