Soham Parekh, recently accused of moonlighting at multiple startups, has spoken out for the first time. He reached out to Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi, who had earlier exposed his alleged conduct. Doshi revealed the message exchange on X (formerly Twitter), where Parekh asked if he had “completely sabotaged” his career and sought guidance on how to “come clean” and improve his situation. Doshi ended the tweet with “Vox populi, Vox Dei,” signalling the weight of public opinion in shaping outcomes.
‘Real Soham Parekh’ Posts Online, Claims He Has Something to Prove
An account claiming to be the “Real Soham Parekh” posted a message expressing frustration at the online outrage and insisted that his story lacked proper context. In the same post, he said, “If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I love to build.” Parekh announced that he had joined a new startup as a founding engineer, insisting that this marked a clean slate. “I’m pissed. And I’ve got something to prove,” he wrote, declaring that he remains committed to his passion for building technology products.
Soham Claims Exclusive Role After Facing Industry Blackout
Soham Parekh said he signed an exclusive founding engineer deal with a new company after facing widespread rejection from the tech ecosystem. “I’ve been isolated, written off, and shut out by nearly everyone I’ve known and every company I’ve worked at,” he stated. He revealed that one startup decided to bet on him and that they are building “something absolutely insane in the video AI space.” The statement signalled his attempt to rebuild his reputation after a widely publicised backlash.
Suhail Doshi exposed Soham Parekh in a tweet that triggered widespread industry conversation. He warned companies about Parekh’s alleged behaviour, claiming that he held roles at three to four startups simultaneously, mainly targeting Y Combinator-backed firms. Doshi said he fired Parekh in the first week of employment for dishonesty. He also claimed that 90% of the links on Parekh’s CV were “fake” and alleged that Parekh lied about his location and visa status while applying for jobs.
Tech Founders Share Experiences of Being Misled by Soham
Several startup founders, including Flo Crivello (Lindy), Matthew Parkhurst (Antimetal), Nicolai Ouporov (Fleet AI), and Adish Jain (Mosaic), confirmed that Parekh either worked with them or tried to. Some said he worked multiple jobs in parallel; others accused him of misrepresenting his visa details. One founder revealed that Parekh missed in-person meetings and used excuses like “time zone issues” and “burning runway” to exit engagements. Most founders admitted that he performed exceptionally well in interviews, which helped him secure roles.
Soham’s Resume Listed Multiple Roles and Raised Questions
According to the now-viral resume shared by Doshi, Parekh held roles at DynamoAI, Union.ai, Synthesia, Alan AI, and GitHub—all as remote positions. The resume listed an MS in Computer Science from Georgia Tech (2022) and a BE in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University (2020). Founders questioned his true location, with one alleging that a company laptop sent to a U.S. address was returned after reaching his “sister.” His email introductions often began with “TL;DR” and included attention-catching lines like “I love everything about…”
While Parekh’s actions sparked debate, questions also emerged around the legality of moonlighting. In India and the U.S., the legality of holding multiple jobs depends on company policies, contracts, and clauses in offer letters. Some startups explicitly prohibit dual employment, while others remain silent. The incident has renewed discussions around remote work ethics, contract enforcement, and candidate vetting in the startup ecosystem.
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