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YC‑Backed Startup Offered Job Interviews for Tattoos and Now Faces Widespread Backlash

The stunt exposed ethical and consent concerns about tying permanent body marks to hiring decisions.

Overview

  • A Lemon Lime after‑party on July 25 advertised free tattoos and promised immediate job interviews to anyone who got inked, and the company says seven people accepted the offer.
  • Co‑founder Jordan Zietz posted about the stunt on social media, then deleted the posts after screenshots spread and issued apologies that were partly removed and reposted.
  • Lemon Lime says it has spoken with the tattooed participants, confirmed they were invited to interviews, and offered to pay for laser removal if people later regret their tattoos.
  • One attendee, Dimple Amitha Garuadapuri, said a photo of her was posted without consent and that she chose a personal design rather than the company logo, raising privacy and consent concerns.
  • The episode has drawn sustained criticism across platforms and from industry figures and highlights how attention‑seeking PR in a competitive AI startup scene can create power imbalances that harm jobseekers.