An Indian tech expert named Soham Parekh is facing serious allegations of working for several startups at the same time. According to multiple tech founders and social media users, Soham is currently working five remote jobs and earning a whopping ₹2.5 lakh every day. Despite complaints, he continues to get hired by more companies.
This has sparked fresh debate in the tech industry around moonlighting — a growing practice where professionals secretly work for multiple employers during the same time period.
Who is Soham Parekh?
Soham Parekh is an Indian tech professional who completed his master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. He has deep knowledge in data science and artificial intelligence.
However, instead of using his skills in a single organisation, Soham is now in the spotlight for allegedly running five full-time remote jobs simultaneously. This has raised eyebrows in the startup and tech hiring community, especially in the US.
What is Moonlighting and How Does It Work?
Moonlighting refers to the act of taking up another job secretly, usually during or after work hours of a primary job. In remote setups, where employees are rarely monitored physically, such practices have become more common.
Soham is accused of performing his work for different startups by using advanced tools and clever time management.
Some people on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) explained how professionals like Soham manage these parallel jobs:
- They use devices like mouse jigglers, which keep the computer cursor moving. This gives the appearance that the person is active online even when they are not.
- They block calendars with ‘focus time’ so that managers avoid assigning urgent meetings.
- They delay responses to emails and deliver results slowly to avoid suspicion.
- They outsource or automate parts of their work using AI tools like ChatGPT, AutoGPT, or custom scripts.
Earning Over ₹6.85 Crore a Year
One Reddit user, said to have 15 years of experience in data and analytics, claimed that Soham makes about $3,000 per day — which equals ₹2.5 lakh in Indian currency. Annually, this adds up to more than ₹6.85 crore.
The same Reddit user explained how Soham started with three jobs and gradually scaled to five as he became better at managing deadlines and work styles.
He follows a US timezone, stays up at night, avoids unnecessary meetings, and presents himself as a ‘consultant’ to avoid daily tracking from employers.
Tech Founders and Investors React
The first serious accusation came from American entrepreneur Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Mixpanel. He called out Soham for working across multiple startups without disclosing it. He said Soham’s work ethics were misleading and unfair to other employees.
Another US-based investor, DD Das, went a step ahead and referred to Soham as “just the tip of the iceberg.” He claimed that there are thousands of such workers secretly juggling multiple jobs.
Das posted screenshots from Reddit where people shared how they handled several jobs using automation, smart scheduling, and vague LinkedIn profiles.
Startups Still Hiring Despite Complaints
What’s shocking is that even after public complaints and online exposure, Soham Parekh continues to get job offers. This has raised serious concerns over the background verification process in startups and remote hiring systems.
In a time when unemployment is rising and job cuts are becoming frequent, the fact that one person can manage five jobs raises ethical and fairness questions.
Companies that operate remotely or hire freelancers are now under pressure to tighten monitoring, use activity trackers, and do stricter reference checks.
Experts Say Moonlighting Isn’t Always Illegal — But It Can Be Unethical
Moonlighting isn’t always illegal, but it often breaks the contract terms of full-time employment. Most companies expect exclusivity, meaning the employee should not work elsewhere during official hours.
However, many remote professionals see moonlighting as a way to make extra money, especially when companies pay less or do not offer job security.
Still, when a person takes five full-time jobs and does not inform any employer, it’s considered deceptive. Companies say it affects productivity, delays team performance, and creates trust issues.
Why This Matters to Indian Professionals
This case has become a hot topic among tech workers in India. Many support Soham, calling him a symbol of hustle and smart work in a broken job market. Others criticize him for exploiting the remote job system.
The bigger issue is whether the remote job model — which became the norm after the COVID-19 pandemic — is still reliable or needs better control systems.
This case may force tech startups to rethink how they hire and monitor remote employees in the coming years.
Sources: Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), Suhail Doshi, DD Das
