Before the Eatgether incident, the supervisor interacted inappropriately with female members and job seekers, and after resigning, sent a lawyer's letter demanding compensation for reputational damage, leaving founder Wu Yanrui Mask feeling helpless. (Background: Silicon Valley Bank SVB revival? Financial Times: Peter Thiel builds digital bank 'Erebor', targeting crypto-tech startups) (Additional context: South Korean crypto company turns around! New legislation includes 'startups' for tax cuts and funding subsidies) The founder of social service Eatgether, Wu Yanrui, posted on Facebook on the 11th, claiming to have encountered 'the most helpless unexpected disaster since starting the business.' The post describes how the mid-level manager 'Mr. D' employed by the company previously threatened to sue and leak information to the media after leaving, demanding six months' salary in reputational damages and spreading false statements online. The incident quickly spread through the venture capital and HR circles, triggering discussions on how startups assess new employees and defend their reputation. Blind spots beyond resumes According to the post, the starting point of the incident dates back to the end of 2024. Eatgether, in response to expansion, hired the impressively credentialed Mr. D. Although he previously worked as a supervisor in a live streaming company and language education, he had multiple brief employment stints and a record of previous entrepreneurship and court enforcement. Wu Yanrui admitted that at that time, based on a 'giving opportunities' mindset, he recruited Mr. D despite concerns. The article states that after Mr. D took office, problems arose one after another, including several months of failing to meet OKRs, frequent system operation errors, and even unilaterally firing employees and abandoning refund contracts, resulting in direct losses. Later on, he was reported to have verbally abused subordinates in public groups, slammed the desk at supervisors in the office, and lost emotional control, impacting team morale. The company had previously advanced salaries due to financial difficulties but still could not regain professional performance. This describes the hidden risks startups face in 'competing for talent.' Outbreak of disputes between users and male colleagues The article states that in June 2025, multiple female members and job seekers reported Mr. D for 'inappropriate private interactions.' During the internal investigation, Mr. D admitted: I used underhanded methods to attract female members; I am very skilled at touching women's hearts and souls to achieve my goals. He also acknowledged that he caused 'a significant negative impact' on the company and proposed his resignation. Eatgether chose to remain low-key, hoping the incident would stop the bleeding. Although external public relations could temporarily ease the turmoil, it handed over the initiative to the other party, which later led to demands for reputational damage compensation. Two weeks after his resignation, Mr. D, through a lawyer's letter, demanded Eatgether to compensate him, threatening to leak information about 'malicious sexual harassment allegations' if they did not comply. Wu Yanrui emphasized that the company did not publicly disclose the incident, and Mr. D's resignation was initiated by him, so they have gathered evidence and engaged a lawyer to sue for extortion and defamation. They reserve the right to claim compensation for violating confidentiality agreements and are prepared to publicly release dialogue records, screenshots, and recordings if necessary. Many corporate consultants commented on the article, stating that companies facing unusual departing employees should identify them early, set clear boundaries, and keep complete records of the incidents, decisively terminating employment when necessary. Some lawyers also advised against compromising with malicious extortion, emphasizing the importance of gathering complete evidence. The unpredictable lesson comes from the employees The crisis, while presenting challenges, also forces startups to re-examine their culture and systems. Wu Yanrui lamented: This is the most profound lesson in hiring I’ve learned in many years of entrepreneurship; I learned that resumes and qualifications do not represent character and values. Besides professional abilities, one must also consider integrity, emotional management, and respect for the team and supervisors. The experience encountered by Eatgether has been shared by many peers in the Taiwanese startup circle, with many bosses encouraging each other that entrepreneurship is difficult, and hiring should be done with caution. It can only be said that as startups grow in scale, the transparency of their talent systems also needs to be enhanced to prevent innovative achievements from being undermined by human risks. Related reports Lawsnote crawler program sentenced to 4 years + fines exceeding 100 million! Why does the founder lament that 'doing startups in Taiwan is more pathetic than fraud'? Shared office WeWork exposes bankruptcy, with a 99% drop in market value! Many Taiwanese crypto startups have previously settled: Steaker.. "Eatgether founder laments helplessness! Exposes 'supervisor's inappropriate interactions with the opposite sex' and demands reputational compensation after resignation" This article was first published on BlockTempo (BlockTempo - the most influential blockchain news media).