Shubham Goel’s Journey on The Circle: Exploring His Time on the Show

Shubham Goel made his debut on Netflix’s reality series The Circle during its inaugural season, which launched in January 2020. He returned for the show’s fifth season in 2023. With the release of season seven of The Circle on Netflix in September 2024, fans are eager to learn more about former contestants from the series.

Among these contestants, Shubham Goel stands out as a fan favorite who left a memorable mark on The Circle. Though he didn’t clinch the grand prize in either of his seasons, his strategic gameplay and charismatic persona endeared him to viewers. In fact, Collider ranked him as the second-best contestant on The Circle in a list published in May 2024.

In his first appearance on The Circle season 1, Shubham aimed to execute a social experiment rather than seek fame or financial gain. He impressively finished as the runner-up that season. In his fifth season, he adopted a catfish persona and, despite implementing evolving strategies, he was eliminated early.

The Circle contestant Shubham Goel returned to the tech industry following his reality TV experience

Shubham Goel is recognized as a product manager known for his innovative perspective on social media. He even ran in the 2018 California gubernatorial election, advocating for a ban on social media usage by students in K-12 schools.

He pursued his education in Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and shortly after graduating, began his career in the tech sector. Shubham initially worked as a product manager at various companies before founding iERP Company, where he led engineering teams. His contributions to product development significantly boosted customer acquisitions by 25%.

After his stint on The Circle, Shubham re-entered the tech community, taking positions at Maven Machines and subsequently at eBay. At Maven Machines, Goel continued to excel in product management, driving key development projects. As of May 2023, he has been a product manager at Rise8.

Experience on The Circle

Shubham Goel’s journey in The Circle season 1 became noteworthy due to his unique approach to social media. He entered the competition as a UCLA graduate, expressing that social media was comparable to a modern-day plague. He dubbed himself the “social Medusa,”aiming to reveal the superficiality often found in online interactions.

Shubham rejoined The Circle in season 5, this time adopting a catfish identity inspired by the winning strategies of his friend, Joey Sasso, a past contestant.

Despite his strategic efforts, Goel faced an early elimination. Nonetheless, he gained valuable insights into gameplay dynamics and the mindset of catfish contestants, leading to a shift in his perspective. In a January 2023 interview with Parade, he admitted that he had once been overly critical of catfish strategies, acknowledging his growth and understanding after experiencing it firsthand. While still maintaining a critical viewpoint on real-life catfishing, he differentiates it from game strategies.

A highlight of Shubham’s journey was his friendship with fellow contestant Joey Sasso. Their connection deepened during the show, and they continue to maintain a genuine relationship, regularly communicating through FaceTime and meeting when Shubham visits Los Angeles.

Shubham has cultivated a substantial following across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where he shares a more nuanced view of social media in today’s society.

Fans can explore Shubham’s journey in both seasons one and five of The Circle, available for streaming on Netflix. They can also catch the latest episodes of the series on the platform and follow its official Instagram page for updates.

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