创业的阴暗面：作为联合创始人我如何遭到背叛
我想分享一个困扰我很久的故事。
在2020年8月，IceWhale Tech的创始人劳伦找到了我，提出了一个看似令人兴奋的机会。在此之前，我在DFRobot工作，负责与劳伦一起推动LattePanda项目的市场扩展和众筹。劳伦认为我的经验对他们的新事业至关重要，于是邀请我作为联合创始人加入IceWhale，帮助建立公司。在劳伦的信任和合作伙伴关系的承诺下，我开始在业余时间为ZimaBoard进行海外市场开发、品牌建设和众筹活动。
到2021年5月，我对这个愿景充满信心，辞去了之前的工作，签署了一份自2021年5月10日起生效的三年期雇佣合同，成为首席营销官（CMO）。从2021年到2024年，我全身心投入到公司的全球营销和销售策略管理中。作为股东和高管，我不知疲倦地工作，相信我们正在共同构建一些有意义的东西。
然而，事情开始意外地崩溃。2023年12月6日，我发现一份日期为2023年8月14日的采购合同被上传到公司的官方系统中。奇怪的是，我并未参与该文件的发起或审批，采购工作也从未是我的职责——这完全是劳伦作为创始人的领域。对于这种身份的滥用，我感到震惊，通过公司的系统提出了对内部管理的担忧。
令我震惊的是，我的担忧被视为对劳伦权威的直接挑战，叙述迅速转变——在他们看来，我犯下了“背叛”的行为。这引发了一系列激烈的谈判，在七次不同的对话中，我被施压要求将100%的股权转让给劳伦单独控制的员工持股计划（ESOP）。尽管反复被要求，我拒绝签署任何感觉不公平或强迫的协议。
然后，在2024年1月15日，劳伦召集了一次紧急董事会会议，定于1月23日召开。议程？2023年的所谓“运营问题”。在那次会议上，我感到措手不及——董事会成员和律师立即要求我转让所有股权并完全辞去公司运营职务。
虽然我对公平的股权转让持开放态度，但事情却变得更加黑暗。自2023年12月起，IceWhale停止支付我的工资和社会保险，劳伦公开将此举辩解为我未能遵守股权要求的“后果”。这让我处于一个危险的境地：由于缺乏适当的离职文件，无法找到新工作，无法获得养老金保险或医疗福利，且难以继续前行。
经过几个月的不确定性，当地劳动部门于2024年3月26日的调查显示，劳伦在2023年12月31日非法终止了我的雇佣合同，未发出任何正式通知或所需的离职文件。我在职业和个人生活上都被毫无预警地切断了联系。
这段经历令人心碎——不仅仅是经济上的，更是情感上的。作为联合创始人加入IceWhale Tech，最初是基于信任和雄心的信念。然而，最终却以背叛、未支付的工资、撤销的股权和非法解雇结束。
对于任何考虑加入初创企业，尤其是作为联合创始人的人，我强烈建议你保护好自己。仔细检查你的雇佣协议、股权安排以及你在公司运营结构中的位置。信任是基础，但愿我的故事能作为警示——有时候，仅仅信任是不够的。
艾伦·申
前IceWhale联合创始人
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I want to share my story that has been haunting me for quite a while.<p>In August 2020, Lauren, the founder of IceWhale Tech, approached me with what seemed like an exciting opportunity. Previously, I've been working at DFRobot, leading efforts in market expansion and crowdfunding in the LattePanda project with Lauren. Lauren believed my experience was critical to the success of their new venture, and I was invited to join IceWhale as a cofounder to help establish the company. I started working on overseas market development, branding, and crowdfunding campaigns for ZimaBoard during my spare time, encouraged by Lauren’s trust and the promise of a collaborative partnership.<p>By May 2021, I had so much faith in this vision that I resigned from my previous job, signed a three-year employment contract effective May 10, 2021, and became the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). From 2021 to 2024, I dedicated myself entirely to managing the company's global marketing and sales strategies. As both a shareholder and an executive, I worked tirelessly, believing that together, we were building something meaningful.<p>However, things began unraveling unexpectedly. On December 6, 2023, I discovered a stamped procurement contract dated August 14, 2023, uploaded into the company’s official system. Strangely, I hadn’t been involved in initiating or approving this document, nor had procurement ever been part of my responsibilities—it was entirely within Lauren’s domain as the founder. Alarmed by this misuse of my identity, I raised concerns about internal management through the company’s system.<p>To my shock, my concerns were perceived as a direct challenge to Lauren’s authority, and the narrative quickly shifted—in their eyes, I had committed an act of “betrayal.” This sparked an aggressive series of negotiations where I was pressured, during seven separate conversations, to transfer 100% of my equity into an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) under Lauren’s sole control. Despite the repeated demands, I refused to sign any agreement that felt unfair or coercive.<p>Then, on January 15, 2024, Lauren called an emergency board meeting for January 23. The agenda? Alleged “operational issues” in 2023. During that meeting, I was blindsided—I was immediately asked to transfer all my equity and completely resign from company operations by the board members and the lawyer.<p>While I was open to negotiating terms for a fair equity transfer, things took a darker turn. IceWhale stopped paying my salary and social insurance since December 2023—a move Lauren openly justified as a consequence of my “failure” to comply with the equity demands. This left me in a precarious position: unable to secure new employment due to the lack of proper separation documentation, unable to access pension insurance or healthcare benefits, and struggling to move forward.<p>After months of uncertainty, an inquiry by the local labor authority on March 26, 2024, revealed that Lauren had illegally terminated my employment contract on December 31, 2023, without issuing any formal notice or required separation documents. I was effectively cut off, both professionally and personally, without warning.<p>This experience was devastating—not just financially, but emotionally. Joining IceWhale Tech as a cofounder started as a leap of faith fueled by trust and ambition. It ended with betrayal, unpaid wages, revoked equity, and an unlawful termination of my employment.<p>For anyone considering joining a startup, particularly as a cofounder, I urge you to protect yourself. Double-check your employment agreements, equity arrangements, and your position within the company's operational structure. Trust is fundamental, but let my story serve as a cautionary tale—sometimes it’s not enough.<p>Allen Shen
Ex co-founder at IceWhale