In the high-stakes world of tech startups, a young engineer named Soham Parekh has become the talk of Silicon Valley for all the wrong reasons. Parekh managed to simultaneously work at multiple startups, collecting paychecks while delivering minimal work and spinning elaborate stories to cover his tracks.

Parekh’s method was deceptively simple: he would ace technical interviews, secure job offers from multiple Y Combinator-backed startups, and then work just enough to seem legitimate before disappearing. His resume, which claimed impressive credentials from the University of Mumbai and internships at tech giants like Amazon and Google, made him an attractive candidate for desperate startup founders seeking top engineering talent.

Founders like Dhruv Amin from Create and Suhail Doshi from Playground soon discovered Parekh was working at multiple companies simultaneously. Some companies fired him within weeks, while others were left wondering how they had been duped.

Parekh himself claims his actions were driven by “dire financial circumstances” and mental health struggles, telling a podcast that he was trying to alleviate his situation quickly. However, many in the tech community see his behavior as a symptom of a broader “hustle culture” where overemployment has become increasingly common.

The rise of online communities like the r/overemployed subreddit, with nearly half a million members, suggests Parekh isn’t an isolated case. Researchers have found that working multiple jobs simultaneously is more prevalent than many realize, especially in remote tech roles.

The fallout from Parekh’s actions extends beyond his individual case. Some founders now express hesitation about hiring remote engineers, particularly those requiring visa sponsorship. As one founder noted, Parekh has potentially damaged trust in an ecosystem that traditionally values collaboration and good faith.

Despite the controversy, Parekh has already landed a new job at an AI video company called Darwin, highlighting the resilient nature of Silicon Valley’s startup culture. Whether this represents a genuine second chance or another potential opportunity for exploitation remains to be seen.