Tech Engineer Goes Viral for Juggling Four Startup Jobs, Igniting Debate on ‘Overemployment’ Ethics

A software engineer has ignited a firestorm in the tech industry after being exposed for secretly working at as many as four startups at once. The story of Soham Parekh went viral in early July 2025, following a public warning from a former employer on X that accused him of deception.

While Parekh defends his actions by citing “dire financial circumstances,” the scandal has shone a spotlight on the growing, secretive trend of “overemployment”. The controversy raises urgent questions about ethics, trust, and the dark side of the remote work revolution.

An Accusation Goes Viral

The saga began on July 2, when Suhail Doshi, former CEO of Mixpanel, issued a stark warning on X. “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.” Doshi claimed he had fired Parekh within his first week over a year ago, stating, “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.” The post quickly gained traction, prompting a wave of similar stories from other tech executives.

Replies flooded in from founders who had just interviewed or even hired Parekh. “LMFAOOO I INTERVIEWED THIS GUY YESTERDAY BRO IM DYINGG,” one user wrote. The viral nature of the accusations painted a picture of a developer who had successfully deceived multiple fast-paced, venture-backed companies.

The Engineer’s Defense: Desperation or Deception?

As his name trended, Parekh broke his silence. In an interview with TBPN on July 3, he admitted to the scheme but framed it as a last resort. “No one really likes to work 140 hours a week, right? But I had to do this out of necessity. I was in extremely dire financial circumstances.” He insisted he was not proud of his actions but felt he had no other choice, claiming to work 140 hours a week.

In an X discussion with Nomic AI CEO Andriy Mulyar, Parekh claimed his scheme netted him $30,000 to $40,000 per month. Yet, a key detail on his résumé was disputed when Georgia Tech, which he claimed to have attended, told NBC News it had no record of him as a student.

A Trail of Betrayed Trust

The experiences of his employers reveal a pattern of deception. Marcus Lowe, founder of the startup Create, told NBC News that Parekh aced his interview but then offered a stream of excuses for not being able to show up for work.

Lowe grew suspicious and checked Parekh’s GitHub profile. He found that Parekh was actively committing code to another company, sync.so, during the very week he claimed to be too sick to work, a fact corroborated by other online posts.

Lowe’s conclusion was blunt: “This was a huge waste of time for us, a big distraction. We’re a small company… such direct immoral behavior felt worth speaking out about.”

More Than One Man: The Rise of the ‘Overemployed’

Parekh’s story is the public face of a growing subculture. The “overemployment” movement, with communities like Reddit’s r/overemployed, champions holding multiple remote jobs as a way to achieve financial freedom and push back against corporate culture.

This trend presents a serious challenge for the tech industry, particularly for startups that rely on the full commitment of their small teams. Industry watchers are now dissecting the case, warning it could force a re-evaluation of hiring and trust in the remote era.

Despite the controversy, Parekh has already landed on his feet. He is now employed by a startup called Darwin. In a surprising twist, its CEO, Sanjit Juneja, acknowledged the situation but stood by his new hire, stating, “Soham is an incredibly talented engineer and we believe in his abilities to help bring our products to market.” This move suggests that for some, raw talent may outweigh serious ethical breaches.