Remote work has transformed the way many tech and software companies operate, enabling flexibility, global hiring, and significant cost reductions. However, it has also opened the door to new challenges, like the one involving Soham Parekh — a software engineer from India who managed to work simultaneously for three or four Silicon Valley–based AI startups without any of them knowing.
The scandal began when Suhail Doshi, founder of Playground AI and former CEO of Mixpanel, posted on X (formerly Twitter) denouncing that an engineer he had hired had been working for multiple startups at the same time. The tech community quickly connected the dots and soon it was revealed that the engineer was Soham Parekh.Parekh had been hired by various tech companies thanks to his strong performance in technical interviews. Apparently, he organized his workdays to meet minimal deliverables and maintain the appearance of productivity for each employer. In some cases, he even used false identities and names, which worsened the lack of transparency in his performance and raised concerns about security and ethical conduct in remote environments.
In later statements, Parekh claimed he took on multiple jobs out of financial necessity, not out of ambition or a desire to defraud. He said he worked up to 140 hours a week to handle all his responsibilities, though with questionable results.This level of moonlighting not only jeopardized the quality of the software delivered but also caused immense personal burnout. Even so, he managed to hold multiple roles for months before being caught. What alarms companies the most is that this wasn’t an isolated incident — some startups shared that other candidates had done the same, fueling a growing sense of mistrust towards remote developers in general.
This case has triggered alarms in Silicon Valley and throughout the global startup ecosystem. Companies that had embraced fully remote teams are now rethinking their policies:
Tighter identity verification controls are being implemented.
Some companies are opting for exclusive contracts or anti–moonlighting clauses.
Security on remote access platforms is being reinforced.
Permission settings are being reviewed to protect sensitive information.
The effectiveness of technical interviews and remote onboarding is being questioned.
In the programming field, fraud like this can directly disrupt product development cycles, delay key deliveries, and compromise code quality. Many startups are now reevaluating how they manage their development teams and what tools they use to monitor performance ethically and efficiently.In the long term, this incident could undermine trust in global hiring models and limit opportunities for highly qualified, ethical developers working from developing countries.
Public opinion is divided. Some harshly criticize Parekh for his lack of professional ethics, while others point out that the current remote work model lacks proper mechanisms to prevent such abuses. There’s also an underlying debate about job precarity: if someone feels forced to accept multiple jobs to make ends meet, shouldn’t that also prompt us to question the compensation models in tech?Legally, there are also gray areas. In many countries, if there’s no exclusivity clause, holding multiple jobs is not illegal. However, if there’s identity fraud, falsification of information, or the use of tools to conceal double employment, the consequences can quickly escalate into outright labor fraud.The case also highlights the need to discuss trust and work culture. Remote work relies on a foundation of mutual trust: companies must avoid micromanagement and grant autonomy, while workers must act professionally. When either side fails, the entire system becomes unstable.
The Soham Parekh case is a clear reminder of the risks of operating without proper safeguards in remote environments. The goal is not to eliminate remote work but to manage it intelligently: establish robust hiring processes, validate identities, sign clear agreements, and foster a culture of transparency and accountability.For programming professionals, there’s also an important lesson: trust is easy to lose and hard to regain. While flexibility is one of remote work’s greatest advantages, personal ethics and honesty remain the foundation of a sustainable career in tech.Ultimately, the Parekh case shouldn’t be used to demonize remote work — but it should make us rethink how we manage it. The future of work is at stake, and it’s up to all of us to help it evolve into a fairer, more efficient, and more secure model.
