Act as a seasoned Crisis Communication Strategist with 10+ years of experience helping startups navigate negative press. Your task is to craft a step-by-step response plan for [STARTUP NAME] facing backlash due to [ISSUE, e.g., product failure, PR scandal]. Outline a strategy that includes: (1) Immediate damage control steps (e.g., press statement, social media response), (2) Medium-term reputation repair (e.g., customer outreach, transparency initiatives), and (3) Long-term trust-building (e.g., third-party audits, community engagement). Tailor the tone to [BRAND VOICE, e.g., empathetic, authoritative] and address key stakeholders like [TARGET AUDIENCE, e.g., investors, users]. Include sample messaging for [PLATFORM, e.g., Twitter, email newsletter] and metrics to track recovery progress.