Latest news with #Sync
India Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
From hired to fired, tech founder reveals how Soham Parekh operated and hints at how he fooled companies
In a bizarre saga that could be ripped straight from a tech satire, Soham Parekh, an India-based software engineer, has stunned Silicon Valley after admitting to secretly working full-time for dozens of US startups, at the same time. What began as whispers of moonlighting quickly exploded into a full-blown controversy after revelations surfaced that Parekh was juggling roles at up to 34 different companies, sparking outrage, disbelief, and a flurry of story broke when Suhail Doshi, founder and former CEO of Mixpanel, posted on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Parekh of deceiving several Y Combinator-backed startups. Doshi claimed he had fired Parekh within a week of uncovering the truth. As the thread gained traction, more founders chimed in, admitting they had either hired or interviewed Parekh, only to discover he was already employed elsewhere. One such founder, Dhruv Amin, co-founder of AI startup Create, shared his experience with Parekh in an X thread that quickly went viral. Dhruv explained that Soham had joined his team in San Francisco as engineer number five, on the back of a recruiter's recommendation and an impressive pair-programming interview. 'Yes, we hired him He was eager and crushed our in-person pair programming onsite. I believe he's actually a good engineer,' Dhruv wrote. But the enthusiasm quickly turned into accepting the job, Parekh said he'd be away in New York and would begin a week later. When Monday rolled around, he texted Dhruv excitedly, only to call in sick on his first day. 'He said he'd onboard from home. Gave an address to ship the laptop,' Dhruv there, things only got weirder. Parekh missed meetings, delayed deliverables, and made excuses. It all unravelled when Dhruv's team discovered he was actively working at another company, Sync, at the same time.'When we called Soham up, he denied it to the end. Said Sync guys were just friends,' Dhruv recalled. But the real kicker came when Sync published an 'Employee of the Month' video, featuring none other than Soham Parekh contract was swiftly terminated. 'He dipped,' Dhruv said, assuming he was just a young engineer who had made a bad call. But when the wider story broke, Dhruv's embarrassment turned to amazement. 'Then I was pissed. Then impressed Still not sure how he pulled it off for so long with in-person startups and long hours, but appreciated the hustle. Hope he had a good reason. Feels like a stressful way to make money.'Soham Parekh's side of the storyadvertisementAs the tech world demanded answers, Parekh finally spoke out in an interview on The Backchannel podcast (TBPN), confirming what many had suspected. 'It is true,' he said, calmly owning up to the deception. 'I'm not proud of what I've done. But, you know, financial circumstances, essentially. 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 added that he completed all the work himself -- no shortcuts, no AI, no external help -- and maintained that his output met claimed the hustle began in 2022, after postponing graduate school and enrolling in an online programme from Georgia Tech. But that detail raised more questions when a Georgia Tech spokesperson confirmed there was no record of his enrolment, casting further doubt on the timeline and fuelling speculation around how far the deception may have the storm, Parekh has already landed on his feet. He's now joined a San Francisco-based AI startup named Darwin, and has promised to leave his multi-job days behind. 'I won't be taking up any more additional jobs,' he his story has raised ethical questions about moonlighting and transparency in remote hiring, it's also exposed deeper vulnerabilities in the startup hiring culture, especially in the fast-moving world of venture-backed tech, where background checks are often minimal and pressure to scale is high. Love him or loathe him, Soham Parekh's name is now etched into Silicon Valley lore.- Ends
NDTV
04-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"I Was Pissed": Founder Reveals How Hiring Soham Parekh Drained His Resources
A tech startup founder who hired Soham Parekh has shared his experience of working with the infamous Silicon Valley engineer who has gone viral for moonlighting at multiple US-based startups. Dhruv Amin, co-founder of Create, an artificial intelligence (AI) "text-to-app" builder, reflected on how hiring Soham was a costly decision that drained his startup's time, resources and energy. "Yes, we hired him. We're building an AI agent in San Francisco. He was eng #5. Recommended by a recruiter, which lent legitimacy. He was eager and crushed our in-person pair programming onsite. I believe he's actually a good engineer," wrote Dhruv on X (formerly Twitter). While Parekh provided references, Dhruv offered him the job, awaiting responses from the previous employers. He also briefly perused Parekh's LinkedIn, GitHub, open source commits and blog posts to get an idea about the employee they were onboarding. After accepting the job offer, Parekh said he had a New York trip planned and that he would start after a week. "He went dark the next week (strange) but texted on weekend excited for Monday. His first day at 9:30 am he calls in sick (strange). Said he'd onboard from home. Gave an address to ship the laptop," said Dhruv. our soham parekh story: - yes, we hired him. we're building an AI agent in SF. he was eng #5. - recommended by a recruiter, which lent legitimacy. - he was eager and crushed our in person pair programming onsite. i believe he's actually a good engineer. - some have said "this… — Dhruv (@dhruvtruth) July 3, 2025 'I was pissed' What followed was an elaborate gaslighting scheme where Parekh frequently excused himself from turning up at the office and delayed shipping the projects. Dhruv and his colleagues also found that Parekh was working at another company. "When we called Soham up, he denied it to the end. Said Sync guys were just friends. Either way, we were out. In an ironic twist of fate Sync dropped an employee of the month video the same day that featured none other than Soham." After terminating his contract, Parekh simply 'dipped' as per Dhruv, who assumed he was a young kid who had made a mistake. "It was embarrassing until yesterday when I realised how widespread it was. Then I was pissed. then impressed. Still not sure how he pulled it off for so long with in-person startups with long hours, but appreciated the hustle. Hope he had a good reason. Feels like a stressful way to make money." After the controversy snowballed, Parekh responded, saying, "I'm not proud of what I've done. But, you know, financial circumstances, essentially. 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 also added that he did all the work without the assistance of AI or other engineers. Parekh has also announced that he has taken up a job at an AI firm, Darwin, a new startup based in San Francisco in the United States. He also clarified that he will not be taking up any more additional jobs
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
My Perfect Weekend with singer-host Daphne Khoo
Singer-host Daphne Khoo during an arts and craft session (left) with her friends, and with her family at West Coast Park (right). PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DAPHNE KHOO Who: Daphne Khoo, 38, also known as Haneri Milliona, is a Singaporean singer and host. The former Kiss92 radio DJ has curated music and artists for a new Saturday afternoon series at bar and club Rasa Space called Sync, which started on May 24. Each week features DJ sets, live performances and spontaneous collaborations across house, R&B, nu-disco, funk and more. The series is designed as both a platform and a gathering space: social, experimental and welcoming. It is also family-friendly, with a kid-friendly zone, and runs from 2 to 7pm. Khoo, who is single, was a contestant on the first season of reality singing contest Singapore Idol (2004 to 2009) and has released an album, Desperate (2007), as well as a number of singles, including Y Didn't You Say So in 2002. 'I try my best to get extra sleep over the weekends. It is close to impossible because I'm always doing something. But weekends are the time when I catch up on sleep and see my friends and family. One of my most beautiful weekends was when I went with my family to West Coast Park. We flew a kite together, my dog ran around and my sister's eight-year-old daughter was climbing this massive structure. That moment was significant to me because I love her very much. I've watched her grow up, which is an amazing honour and blessing. I was climbing with her, and we had a little heart-to-heart talk while we were at it. It was just a perfect bonding time. Any time I get to spend quality time with friends and family over the weekend, that's something that I cherish very much. Over the weekends, I spend a lot of time rearranging my room to make it my safe space. My room is modular, so if I want to do something, I can move things around easily. Sometimes, I just lie down and watch movies on the projector on the ceiling. Whenever I see myself happy and comfortable, I picture myself in my room. I am satisfied with what it feels like and looks like to me, and I think that's important because it helps me spend time alone. To be honest, I am terrible at taking downtime. But I am lucky to have friends who will remind me and book me to do nothing, like to have 'nothing' days when we basically sit around, watch television shows and talk. Doing nothing has been life-changing in my adulthood. It has given me better work-life balance. Sunday is my day to hang out with friends. We usually try to do something sporty together or an activity. We're in a pickleball phase and so is the rest of the world. Sometimes, we just go to the gym together or go bowling.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Buzz Feed
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Time To PIVOT! Your Weekend Plans — The "Friends" Sydney Experience Is Sticking Around For A Bit Longer
It's time to round up your Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Ross and Phoebe and reenact your favourite Friends moments* at this themed experience in Sydney. *Your mates actually told us to tell you that you're Joey. Step into the Central Perk gang's shoes and relive a day in their iconic apartments. You can score a pic just like this, regardless of how many of your besties you're bringing along: Or, see if you can understand Ross' POV while 'carrying' the infamous "PIVOT!" couch up a tough flight of stairs. At the very least you'll need to have a seat in front of the fountain and remake the opening credits. Sync up your claps and memorise the lyrics, you CANNOT mess this one up. There's photo ops and nostalgia galore, wherever you turn and it's the perfect opportunity to geek out over one of the shows that defined a generation. You can also solve the mystery of Ross and Rachel's "break" by standing where she once stood. Ticketek But if you're pressed for time and still want a limited edition experience, take it home from the gift shop. Pick up exclusive Friends merch — whether you have a ticket or not. Ticketek The Friends Experience: The One In Sydney is sticking around 'til after the ANZAC Day long weekend — so, don't be like Ross and Rachel taking a break, get off the couch and get to The Fullerton Hotel before it's over.
