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Soham Parekh Breaks Silence: The 140-Hour Work Week Defense That's Dividing Silicon Valley

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Indian software engineer Soham Parekh finally speaks out about the moonlighting scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. His defense of working 140 hours a week due to 'dire financial circumstances' has sparked fresh debate about ethics, necessity, and the reality of global tech employment.

Soham Parekh Breaks Silence: The 140-Hour Work Week Defense That’s Dividing Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley Tech Scandal

Soham Parekh defends himself: ‘I am not proud’

In a stunning turn of events that has further polarized Silicon Valley, Indian software engineer Soham Parekh has finally broken his silence about the moonlighting scandal that erupted when Suhail Doshi, co-founder of Playground AI and Mixpanel, publicly accused him of “preying on YC companies” while working for multiple startups simultaneously.

Parekh’s defense? “No one really likes to work 140 hours a week, but I had to do it out of necessity. I was in extremely dire financial circumstances.”

The Confession That Changed Everything

In an explosive interview with the TBPN YouTube channel, Parekh made a series of admissions that have completely reframed the narrative surrounding one of tech’s most talked-about controversies of 2025.

Watch on YouTube

Soham Parekh breaks his silence in exclusive TBPN interview

“I’m not proud of what I’ve done. That’s not something I endorse either. But financial circumstances,” Parekh stated, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had been pushed to desperate measures.

The revelation paints a starkly different picture from the original narrative of calculated deception. Instead of a master manipulator gaming the system, Parekh’s account suggests someone drowning in financial desperation who saw multiple employment as a lifeline.

The 140-Hour Work Week Reality

The numbers alone are staggering. Working 140 hours per week means:

  • 20 hours per day, 7 days a week
  • Only 4 hours for sleep, meals, and personal care combined
  • No weekends, no breaks, no time off

“I’m not a very people person. I don’t share much about what’s going on with my life or my internal thought process. I was getting more stressed, thinking, hey, I want to come out of this situation. What should I do?” Parekh explained, revealing the isolation and desperation that drove his decisions.

Debunking the Subcontracting Allegations

One of the most serious allegations against Parekh was that he had built a shadow operation, hiring other engineers to do the actual work while he collected multiple salaries. His response was unequivocal:

“I wish I had the money, and I wish that was true, but that is not true. Any of the founders that I worked with can vouch for that. I have multiple locations where I program with people. I’ve written every single inch of the code.”

This admission, if true, makes Parekh’s situation even more extraordinary—and tragic. It suggests he was literally coding around the clock, sustaining an impossible workload that would break most people.

The Original Scandal: How It All Started

The controversy began when Suhail Doshi posted a warning 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.”

The post triggered an avalanche of similar experiences from other founders:

  • Leaders from Lindy, Fleet AI, and Antimetal shared strikingly similar stories
  • Each described hiring Parekh after impressive interviews
  • All eventually discovered his multiple commitments and terminated him
  • Common complaints included missed meetings and delayed deliverables

The Broader Context: India’s Moonlighting Crisis

Parekh’s case isn’t isolated. India’s tech sector is experiencing a moonlighting epidemic:

  • 25-30% increase in moonlighting activities over the past three years
  • 65% of IT workers admit to moonlighting according to recent surveys
  • Wipro terminated 300 employees for moonlighting violations
  • Remote work boom has created new opportunities for multiple employment

The rise of remote work has eliminated traditional barriers to multiple employment, creating both opportunities and ethical dilemmas that the industry is still grappling with.

The Ethics Debate: Desperation vs. Deception

Parekh’s revelations have split the tech community into two camps:

The Sympathy Camp

  • Argues that financial desperation can drive ethical compromises
  • Points to global economic inequalities in tech compensation
  • Suggests the problem is systemic, not individual
  • Advocates for better support systems for struggling developers

The Ethics Camp

  • Maintains that financial pressure doesn’t justify contractual breaches
  • Argues that honesty should prevail regardless of circumstances
  • Points to the damage done to trusting employers
  • Emphasizes that other developers face similar pressures without resorting to deception

The Contrast: Legitimate Multi-Board Service

The controversy highlights an interesting contrast with accepted Silicon Valley practices. While Parekh’s moonlighting was secretive, many executives openly serve on multiple boards:

Key Differences:

  • Transparency: Board positions are publicly disclosed
  • Nature of work: Strategic oversight vs. daily execution
  • Legal framework: Governed by fiduciary duties and conflict-of-interest rules
  • Compensation structure: Appropriate for the level of commitment expected

Industry Impact and Media Coverage

The story has dominated tech media across major publications:

The Human Cost of Extreme Moonlighting

Beyond the ethical debates lies a troubling human story. Working 140 hours per week is not just ethically questionable—it’s physically and mentally devastating:

Health Implications:

  • Severe sleep deprivation
  • Chronic stress and burnout
  • Increased risk of mental health issues
  • Physical health deterioration
  • Social isolation

Professional Consequences:

  • Decreased quality of work across all positions
  • Inability to form meaningful professional relationships
  • Reputation damage that may be irreversible
  • Career prospects severely impacted

Global Economic Inequalities in Tech

Parekh’s case has also highlighted the stark economic realities facing developers in different parts of the world:

  • US startup salaries can be 10-20x higher than local equivalents
  • Currency exchange rates create massive incentives for multiple employment
  • Remote work has created unprecedented access to high-paying opportunities
  • Economic desperation in some regions drives extreme measures

What This Means for Remote Hiring

The scandal has forced companies to reconsider their remote hiring practices:

New Precautions Being Implemented:

  • Enhanced background verification processes
  • More rigorous reference checks
  • Clearer policies on exclusive employment
  • Better systems for monitoring remote worker engagement
  • Improved onboarding processes to detect red flags

The Path Forward: Lessons Learned

For Employers

  • Implement comprehensive due diligence procedures
  • Create clear policies about moonlighting and multiple employment
  • Develop better systems for remote worker verification
  • Consider the global economic context when hiring internationally

For Developers

  • Understand that financial pressure doesn’t justify contractual breaches
  • Explore legitimate ways to improve financial situations
  • Recognize that reputation damage can be more costly than financial hardship
  • Seek support and advice when facing desperate circumstances

For the Industry

  • Develop better standards for remote work verification
  • Address global economic inequalities in tech compensation
  • Create support systems for developers facing financial difficulties
  • Establish clearer ethical frameworks for distributed work

The Verdict: A Cautionary Tale

Soham Parekh’s story serves as a complex cautionary tale about the intersection of financial desperation, ethical compromise, and the realities of global remote work. While his circumstances may evoke sympathy, his methods have caused real harm to trusting employers and damaged the remote work ecosystem that benefits millions of developers worldwide.

The case forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about global economic inequality, the ethics of survival, and the responsibilities we have to each other in an interconnected world. It’s a reminder that behind every scandal is a human story—and that solutions require understanding both the individual choices and the systemic pressures that drive them.

The Ongoing Debate

As this story continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the tech industry needs to grapple seriously with the ethical challenges of remote work, global employment disparities, and the human cost of economic desperation. Soham Parekh’s 140-hour work week defense has opened a conversation that goes far beyond one individual’s choices—it’s about the kind of industry we want to build and the values we want to uphold.

The question isn’t just whether Parekh’s actions were justified, but how we can create systems that prevent such desperate measures while maintaining the trust and transparency that remote work depends on.

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