Soham Parekh, a Bengaluru-based software engineer, has admitted to moonlighting for multiple US-based startups and working up to 140 hours a week. His admission follows allegations by Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Mixpanel and CEO of Playground AI, who claimed to have fired Parekh within a week for dishonesty. Doshi’s post on X accused the engineer of juggling multiple jobs simultaneously and submitting misleading credentials.
Worked Multiple Jobs Due to Financial Strain
In an interview with TBPN, Parekh said he did not take on multiple jobs to cheat anyone but out of financial need. “No one really likes to work 140 hours a week, but I had to do it out of necessity,” he explained. He acknowledged the extreme workload and admitted that it was not a sustainable or healthy way of working.
Not Proud of His Actions
Parekh clarified that he does not endorse his own actions and expressed regret over the choices he made. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done. It’s not something I endorse either,” he said. When asked about legal violations or contract breaches, he admitted there may have been issues, but maintained that his decisions were driven by circumstances, not malicious intent.
Use of AI Tools Helped but Didn’t Enable More Jobs
When asked if AI tools played a role in managing so many jobs, Parekh said they helped him with coding tasks but were not the reason he took on extra work. He denied that AI made it easy to handle multiple roles at once. He also mentioned that he didn’t maintain a fixed schedule and simply focused on whichever task was most pressing.
Known for Skipping Sleep to Keep Up with Workload
Parekh admitted to pushing his limits by working long hours with minimal rest. “People around me would probably say I’m notoriously known for not sleeping,” he said, describing himself as a “serial non-sleeper” trying to manage his overlapping responsibilities.
Allegations of Resume Misrepresentation and Ghost Working
Parekh drew national attention after Suhail Doshi claimed that nearly 90% of the techie’s resume was misleading. Doshi also alleged that Parekh had worked with several Y Combinator-backed startups such as Dynamo AI, Union AI, Synthesia, and Alan AI, but failed to deliver results. Employers accused him of manipulating timelines, providing misleading job details, and using excuses to avoid tasks — a practice often referred to as “ghost work.”
Controversy Highlights Larger Debate on Moonlighting in Tech
The case has reignited conversations around moonlighting in the tech industry, especially in the remote work era. While Parekh’s story is extreme, it brings attention to the pressures faced by tech workers and the blurry lines between hustling and dishonesty in a competitive job market.
