An Indian techie, Soham Parekh, is on the centre of a moonlighting storm after US-based AI founder Suhail Doshi accused him of “scamming folks” by working at a number of startups concurrently. The controversy has triggered a heated debate on-line, with many calling out double requirements within the startup world.
In a extensively shared submit on X, Doshi — co-founder and ex-CEO of Mixpanel, and founding father of Playground AI, wrote, “PSA: there’s a man named Soham Parekh (in India) who works at 3-4 startups on the similar time. He’s been preying on YC firms and extra. Beware. I fired this man in his first week and informed him to cease mendacity/scamming folks. He hasn’t stopped a 12 months later. No extra excuses.”
PSA: there’s a man named Soham Parekh (in India) who works at 3-4 startups on the similar time. He’s been preying on YC firms and extra. Beware.
I fired this man in his first week and informed him to cease mendacity / scamming folks. He hasn’t stopped a 12 months later. No extra excuses.
— Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025
Doshi additionally shared Parekh’s resume, which lists expertise at Dynamo AI, Union AI, Synthesia and Alan AI in tech roles. The CV mentions his instructional background — a bachelor’s from College of Mumbai and a grasp’s from Georgia Tech.
Nevertheless, Doshi claimed most of it’s fabricated: “Most likely 90 per cent faux and most hyperlinks are gone.”
Most likely 90% faux and most hyperlinks are gone. pic.twitter.com/h9bnLc8Cwj
— Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025
He additional stated he tried to purpose with Parekh, “I need to additionally say that I attempted to speak sense into this man, clarify the influence, and provides him an opportunity to show a brand new leaf as a result of generally that’s what an individual wants. Nevertheless it clearly didn’t work.”
Netizens calls out hypocrisy
The submit exploded on platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Instagram, sparking each outrage and help. Some, together with Nicolai Ouporov, CEO of Fleet AI, backed Doshi, “He has been doing this for years and works at greater than 4 startups at any given time.”
However others weren’t shopping for into the outrage. “So it’s okay for founders to run a number of firms without delay however not okay for an worker to have a number of jobs?! Make it make sense,” a person wrote.
One other questioned whether or not efficiency ought to matter extra: “Who cares… is he performing? If that’s the case, then who cares. These similar firms will do a RIF out of nowhere and never blink a watch… you assume they deserve some timeless loyalty?”
Some customers even prompt Parekh could have been utilizing AI instruments successfully to handle a number of roles. “Everyone seems to be assuming that he has simply been sub-contracting out the work. But when he’s sensible and hardworking and actually is aware of leverage AI coding instruments, it’s completely doable to do good work at a number of jobs in comparison with the median developer,” one remark learn.
Others, nonetheless, pointed to bigger systemic points in distant hiring: “What about individuals who interview and on the primary day of labor a distinct individual exhibits up? That may be a factor. What about individuals who have 10 of their members of the family doing their work for them in a sweatshop storage? Do away with all H1B and abroad staff and prepare US Residents to do the work.”
‘Not pleased with what I’ve executed’: Soham Parekh responds
In newest improvement within the saga, the person in query, Soham Parekh, has responded to the allegations in opposition to him. Parekh confirmed the accusations however maintained that he had not acted out of malice or greed, admitting that he’s not pleased with his actions.
In a podcast, he stated, “It’s true,” when requested instantly whether or not he had been employed at a number of firms concurrently. “Actually, going again to the way it began and what the motivations have been… I might need to preface by saying I’m not pleased with what I’ve executed. It’s not one thing I endorse both,” he stated.
“Monetary circumstances, primarily,” he defined. “Nobody actually likes to work 140 hours every week, however I needed to do it out of necessity.”
What precisely is ‘moonlighting’, is it unlawful?
Moonlighting refers to taking over a number of jobs, usually with out informing the first employer. It has turn out to be extra frequent within the tech sector, particularly post-pandemic. However is it in opposition to the legislation?
Legally, moonlighting in India is not explicitly unlawful, however most employers embrace non-compete clauses and insurance policies that limit twin employment. If an worker violates such clauses, the corporate has the precise to take disciplinary motion.
Why do employers object to moonlighting?
i) Battle of Curiosity – Working for opponents or misusing insider data.
ii) Confidentiality Breach – Leaking or utilizing proprietary info elsewhere.
iii) Useful resource Misuse – Utilizing workplace tools or time for different work.
iv) Productiveness Loss – Divided consideration or availability considerations.
