Mike Harrington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Harrington
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Harrington in 2009
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| Born | 1964 (age 60–61) |
| Employer | Dynamix (1985–1987) Microsoft (1987–1996) Valve (1996–2000) Picnik (2005–2010) Google (2010–2011) Catnip Labs (2012–2015) Committee for Children (2016–2018) Amplion (2018–2020) |
| Known for | Co-founding Valve |
| Spouse(s) | Monica Harrington (formerly) |
Mike Harrington, born in 1964, is an American computer programmer and a smart businessman. He is famous for starting the video game company Valve with his friend Gabe Newell. Their first big success was the game Half-Life in 1998. After this, Harrington left Valve in 2000. Later, in 2006, he helped create a popular online photo editing service called Picnik.
Contents
Mike Harrington's Journey in Tech
Mike Harrington worked as a programmer at a video game company called Dynamix. He also helped design the Windows NT operating system while at Microsoft.
Starting Valve Corporation
In 1996, Mike Harrington teamed up with Gabe Newell, who also used to work at Microsoft. Together, they started their own video game company, Valve. Harrington used money from selling his shares in Microsoft to help fund the new company. His wife at the time, Monica Harrington, helped with marketing Valve in its early days.
Creating Half-Life
Harrington and Newell put their own money into making Valve's first game, Half-Life. Harrington also helped write the computer code for the game. When Half-Life came out in 1998, it was a huge hit. People loved it, and it sold very well. Harrington felt proud, knowing that he and Gabe had built the game and the company from scratch.
Moving On from Valve
On January 15, 2000, Mike Harrington decided to leave Valve. He sold his part of the company to Gabe Newell. Harrington wanted to spend more time with his wife. According to Newell, Harrington felt that after the big success of Half-Life, he didn't want to risk starting another huge project.
New Ventures and Innovations
In 2006, Harrington started a new company called Picnik with his friend Darrin Massena. Picnik was an online service that let people edit their photos easily. Google bought Picnik in March 2010. Harrington left Google in March 2011.
In January 2012, he and Darrin Massena started another company together called Catnip Labs. From 2016 to 2018, Harrington was the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the Committee for Children. He then became the CTO of Amplion in November 2018, staying there until March 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Mike Harrington para niños
