AI startup Lemon Lime, which "optimizes your existing data to work with AI," has employed unconventional hiring tactics, including a tattoo offer for interviews. Seven individuals accepted the deal, getting the company logo tattooed during a promotional event, which garnered significant, largely negative, publicity. CEO Jordan Zietz has since admitted to "poor judgement" and getting "carried away."

Lemon Lime operates with a "grindset mentality," with the "entire team showing up to the office 7 days a week." The company has seen applicants withdraw after stating they do not work past 5 p.m. or on weekends. Instead, employees are expected to push "critical product features to production while watching Pitch Perfect Sing-Along Edition at 1 a.m. on a Saturday." The startup prioritizes cultural fit, with Zietz stating they hire "people we want to be friends with" over academic achievements, noting his own 2.3 freshman GPA.