As startups and businesses increasingly struggle with offering the right work-life balance to their employees and teams, a Hyderabad startup has taken it up a notch and hired a “Chief Happiness Officer.
The catch is that this Chief Happiness Officer is not a human.
It's a Golden Retriever!
According to Hindustan Times, Harvesting Robotics is the startup that has hired Denver, a Golden Retriever, as its CHO.
“HE DOESN'T CODE. HE DOESN'T CARE.”
Rahul Arepaka, co-founder of Harvested Robotics, took to LinkedIn to share this news.
He attached a photo of Denver sitting in the office and wrote, “Meet our newest hire, Denver - Chief Happiness Officer. He doesn't code. He doesn't care. He just shows up,steals hearts, and keeps the energy up.”
In a fun way, he also added that Denver, the Chief Happiness Officer, has “the best perks in the company.”
With this move, Harvested Robotics’ office space has become officially pet-friendly.
Additionally, Denver has his own LinkedIn account with the name “Denver Pawlson.”
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NETIZENS REACTION
Rahul Arepaka’s LinkedIn post has received more than 12,000 likes from people appreciating the startup's decision.
One user wrote, "We need more of CHOs - Global mandate and possibly perfect RTO vision.”
Another wrote, “4 paws, 0 stress & 100% tail-wagging positivity! Superb initiative.”
In a sarcastic comment, one user said, “CHO seems exhausted with the responsibility of making everyone happy.”
Rahul responded by writing, “Not exhausted. We told him to take care of the next funding round.”
One user also wrote, “I wouldn't have left my seat, wouldn't have let him leave mine for sure.”
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WHAT DOES HARVESTED ROBOTICS DO
As a startup founded by Rahul Arepaka and George Mathew in 2023, Harvested Robotics innovates AI-powered laser weeding solutions that help Indian farmers protect their crops.
Recently, in March 2025, the agritech startup bagged a pre-seed funding round of Rs 5 crore.
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PET-FRIENDLY OFFICES
Studies have shown that if pet animals are present in work environments, employees witness a reduction in stress and a boost in productivity. The presence of pets also encourages social bonding and interactions.
For a long time, companies like Zappos, Amazon, and Google have been allowing pets at work
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