Indian tech professional Soham Parekh, accused of defrauding several US companies by working multiple jobs simultaneously, has admitted to the allegations.
Appearing on a Tbpn show, Parekh confessed that he misled employers about his location and employment status, acknowledging that he held several positions at once.
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Parekh has been at the centre of a major controversy after Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Playground A and Mixpanel, in a post on X, alleged that Parekh has been “preying on YC companies” and that most of the work showcased on his resume is fake.
Addressing the issue, Parekh reportedly said he is “not proud of his actions” but explained that “dire financial hardship drove him to make those decisions”.
He defends his actions, citing dire financial circumstances and denying claims of subcontracting work, stating he wrote all the code himself.
“I don’t think anyone enjoys working 140 hours a week, but I had to do it because of financial conditions,” he explained.
“I did what I had to do to get out of a tough situation,” he said, adding that while he takes full responsibility, the experience was far from something he wanted or enjoyed.
“I was determined to change my situation, and I took action to help myself through it. So it wasn’t really about outreach, but necessity. I thought that if I worked multiple places, I could help myself elevate the situation I was in much faster.” he noted.
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Addressing claims about junior developers hired under him, he added, “That’s simply not true.”
Denying that he employed junior developers to manage the workload, emphasising, “I wish I had the money. Any of the founders that I worked with can vouch for that. I have multiple locations where I program with people. I’ve written every single inch of the code. ”
He further clarified that he had not used artificial intelligence tools to perform his duties and stated he began balancing multiple jobs in 2022 — well before AI tools like GitHub Copilot became mainstream.
Meanwhile, Parekh has reportedly found a job at an AI startup Darwin Studios as a founding engineer, marking a new chapter after a heated controversy in Silicon Valley.
He revealed he is going to work for an AI company, adding that this time, he will not take up any other employment.
“I am really excited about what I am going to be a part of next. You know, working with a company called Darwin. I think you know, they have put a bet on me and I have a lot to prove,” Parekh says.
Darwin’s founder and CEO, Sanjit Juneja, issued a statement expressing confidence in Parekh’s skills, “Soham is an incredibly talented engineer and we believe in his abilities to help bring our products to market.”
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Meanwhile, Brennan-Burke also reportedly published the email he sent to Parekh. In the message, Parekh’s previous work with well-known startups was referenced, mentioning that HyperSpell was actively hiring engineers.
They reportedly invited Parekh for an informal conversation, indicating an openness to reintegrate him into the industry rather than shut him out.
Despite Brennan-Burke’s attempt at rehabilitation, he received pushback from others in the tech community. Critics reportedly warned against employing individuals accused of lacking professional ethics.
Conor Brennan-Burke, the founder of the AI company HyperSpell, said that he believes in second chances and wrote: “He’s definitely learned his lesson now and is going to work insanely hard to prove everyone wrong. Massive opportunity to bring on top talent with a chip on their shoulder.”
