
Startup Founder Apologizes After Offering Interviews to People Who Got Tattoos
THE SO WHAT
The backlash to 'tattoo-for-interview' stunts is a reminder that attention hacks can quickly become brand liabilities in a tight hiring market. Early-stage founders should treat recruiting as reputation-building infrastructure, not a growth-hacking channel.
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An AI startup's tattoo-for-an-interview stunt set off a Silicon Valley backlash. Now the founder is apologizing.
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