Who Is Soham Parekh, and Why Is the Startup World Suddenly Talking About Him?

In a space known for glorifying hustle, innovation, and disruption, Soham Parekh has managed to become all three—albeit unintentionally. Until a few days ago, he was just another tech engineer in the shadows. Today, his name is lighting up feeds across startup Twitter (now X), drawing attention from founders, investors, and job-seekers alike.

So, who is this guy? Why is he trending? And how did he manage to become one of the most talked-about figures in the Indian startup ecosystem overnight?

Let’s break it down.

The Name Behind the Noise

Soham Parekh, or “Soham P” as per his now-viral resume, is an engineer with a seemingly impressive academic background. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology and a BE in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai.

But that’s not why people are talking about him.

He’s now at the center of a massive moonlighting controversy—accused of working at 3 to 4 startups simultaneously, while misleading employers about his location, identity, and intentions.

The internet has quickly dubbed him a “moonlighting scammer,” but the full picture is far more layered.

It All Started With One Tweet

It took just one tweet to unravel it all.

Suhail Doshi, founder of Playground AI and a respected voice in the tech space, posted a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on X, calling out Soham by name:

“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.”

Attached was a copy of Soham’s resume, which listed multiple high-profile companies—including Synthesia, Alan AI, Union.ai, DynamoAI, and GitHub—all in remote roles.

The tweet went viral, clocking over 13 million views, sparking outrage and curiosity alike.

The Resume That Shook Startupland

The now-infamous resume was clean, convincing, and meticulously crafted. Doshi claimed that 90% of the links were fake, and that Soham had previously been hired—and then fired within the first week—for being dishonest.

Founders from various startups began chiming in, sharing eerily similar stories. Some said he never showed up for meetings. Others alleged that he lied about his visa status. A few revealed they had sent him laptops—only to get them returned later.

Yet many admitted: “He crushed the interviews.”

The Emails That Worked

So how did he get into these companies? His strategy, it seems, was deceptively simple and incredibly effective.

Instead of sending the usual formal emails, Soham’s cold pitches started with “TL;DR: I love everything about...” and closed with “Best, Soham.” It was personal. It was attention-grabbing. It worked.

One founder said they were won over by his passion. Others believed they were hiring someone located in the U.S. Soham had an excuse for everything—from time zone mismatches to building his own ERP startup.

It wasn’t just bold. It was calculated.

Soham Finally Speaks

As the storm brewed online, Soham finally broke his silence. In a private message to Doshi (which Doshi made public), he asked:

“Have I completely sabotaged my career? What can I do to improve my situation? I’m happy to come clean.”

Soon after, from an account named “The Real Soham Parekh,” he posted his version of the story.

“I’ve been shut out, rejected, and written off by nearly everyone. But I’ve just signed on as a founding engineer at a new startup—one company, one role, clean slate.”

He further claimed the new venture is in the video AI space, backed by a team that believes in misfits. Whether this is the beginning of a true redemption or just another PR move—time will tell.

From Villain to Underdog?

Despite being in the hot seat, there’s an unusual duality in how people are reacting to Soham. Yes, many are angry. But there’s also a curious fascination. Some call him a scammer. Others call him a misunderstood builder.

He may have broken rules, but he clearly understood how to sell himself—and that, like it or not, is a startup skill.

His actions raise questions far bigger than just one man’s mistakes:

• Is the startup ecosystem too trusting when it comes to remote hiring?

• Are hiring practices flawed enough to let one person juggle multiple full-time roles undetected?

• And is the culture of “move fast, break things” enabling behaviors like this?

Is Moonlighting Even Legal?

In India and the U.S., moonlighting exists in a grey area. It all depends on company policies and employment contracts.

While some companies now allow flexible working or even side gigs, working at multiple full-time roles without disclosure is generally frowned upon—and in most cases, a breach of contract.

What Soham did may or may not be technically illegal, but it certainly broke a lot of trust.

What Happens Now?

Soham claims he’s turning a new leaf. He says he’s done with the multiple-job hustle. He’s back to doing what he loves: building.

“The team is cracked. They back misfits. And they’re building something insane.”

Is this the beginning of a redemption arc we often see in the startup world? Or will this become a long-standing cautionary tale?

Whatever the outcome, one thing’s for sure—Soham Parekh has sparked a conversation the startup world can’t ignore.

In a space where storytelling, self-branding, and high performance often collide, Soham’s story is a strange cocktail of ambition, deception, and perhaps, redemption.

Whether you see him as a fraudster, a hustler, or just a product of the broken tech hiring system, there’s no denying: he’s got the ecosystem talking.