how one engineer fooled silicon valley

the Soham paradox of remote work

Last week, an unusual case shook X (formerly Twitter). Tech companies now seek 10x, 100x engineers. But when they got Soham Parekh, it shocked them. He was working at many Y Combinator startups at once. Soham sent cold emails to many startup founders and engineers, showing genuine interest in open roles. For those struggling to convert cold emails into interviews, his approach could serve as a guide. In some ways, Soham Parekh is a genius.

Soham worked more than 5 remote jobs at the same time. He was fooling half of Silicon Valley. So, how did he pull this off?

It all started with a cold email. He sent the same message to many companies, saying:

I love everything about what your company is doing. I don't have many hobbies outside coding. I am not athletic, bad at singing, don't drink, can't dance. Building is the only thing I am good at. Just want to be heads down chasing that goal.

This email intro was pure genius. Admitting he had no hobbies showed vulnerability. The self-deprecating humor made it relatable. The focus on work was sharp and clear. It triggered founders’ thoughts: “This is the dedicated engineer we need.”

I found the email from Soham on X

Companies kept falling for it again and again. He aced every interview and got hired. Then, he started working many jobs without anyone knowing. For months, he collected salaries from several startups at the same time.

Then everything unraveled when Suhail called him out on X:

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. 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.

Source: Matt Parkhurst, founder of Antimetal on X

That single tweet opened the floodgates. Founder after founder started sharing their Soham stories:

“We hired this guy a week ago. Fired him this morning.”
“Soham was our first engineering hire in 2022. We let him go.”
“This guy got a trial contract, then ghosted us after signing.”

The internet couldn't get enough. X exploded with Soham memes. The whole saga became a viral phenomenon.

Beyond the memes, the story revealed something serious. Soham’s scheme is eroding trust in remote work. Companies built on good faith now question every remote employee.

Soham isn’t alone. Overemployed subreddit has near 500,000 members. They share tips on working several remote jobs. They call it “overemployment” and treat it like a career strategy. Members exchange tactics to manage many bosses without getting caught.

The Soham phenomenon shows remote work creates new opportunities. But exploiting them can break vital trust. That trust is what makes remote work possible in the first place.

My take on this would be more conservative. Don't play the short game. Five salaries won’t matter when your reputation is radioactive. In tech, your name is your currency. Play long term.

Until next time,
Adlet

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