- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 03 Jul 2025 04:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A major controversy has erupted in Silicon Valley over Soham Parekh, an Indian-origin software engineer accused of deceiving multiple tech startups across the US with false credentials, overlapping job commitments, and misleading personal details. The issue gained widespread attention when Suhail Doshi, founder of Playground AI and Mixpanel, publicly exposed Parekh on X.
Doshi alleged that Parekh briefly worked at Mixpanel before being fired, and had since been targeting Y Combinator-backed companies by misrepresenting his qualifications and work history. He went as far as sharing Parekh’s CV online, stating that “probably 90 per cent of the claims made in it are fake.”
Multiple Startups, One Resume
According to Doshi and several other tech founders, Parekh simultaneously held roles at multiple startups, including DynamoAI, Synthesia, Alan AI, and Union.ai. His job timelines allegedly overlapped, and he often lied about his location, telling some companies he was in the US while being elsewhere. In one instance, a startup shipped a work laptop to a US address, only to learn it had been received by someone posing as his sister.
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.
— Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025
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.
What began as a serious conversation about hiring ethics quickly evolved into a viral social media storm, filled with memes, cautionary posts, and fiery debates about the future of remote work and employee verification in the tech world.
As the backlash intensified, Parekh reportedly reached out to Doshi, asking, “Have I completely sabotaged my career? What can I do to improve my situation? I am also happy to come clean.” Doshi shared the message online, further amplifying the conversation.
An account titled “The Real Soham Parekh” appeared on social media, expressing frustration over how the story had been told. The account claimed there were details being left out and vowed to “prove something,” suggesting there may be more to the narrative.
Probably 90% fake and most links are gone. pic.twitter.com/h9bnLc8Cwj
— Suhail (@Suhail) July 2, 2025
A Pattern Of Deception?
Several tech leaders have echoed Doshi’s concerns. Flo Crivello, founder of Lindy, revealed that Parekh excelled in interviews but was quickly let go. Michelle Lim of Warp shared that her team cancelled their trial period after learning about the allegations. Nicolai Ouporov of Fleet AI claimed Parekh had engaged in similar behaviour for years.
While Parekh’s resume lists a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mumbai and a Master’s in Computer Science from Georgia Tech, those credentials are now under scrutiny. Screenshots from Zoom meetings, reportedly showing him misrepresenting his location, have also surfaced.