This episode’s guest is David McCourt. David has been a force of nature in business for over 30 years. Described by the Economist as possessing ‘impeccable credentials as a telecom revolutionary’ he created the first competitive phone company in the US, inventing the triple play that is voice, video and data - today considered the norm.

As the Chairman and CEO of the worldwide investment company Granahan McCourt Capital, McCourt specializes in technology, media and telecommunication. He is also the Chairman of National Broadband Ireland, which in 2019 won the Irish Government’s $5 billion project to deliver high-speed broadband to every man, woman, and child without access. This project is the biggest of its kind globally.

An award-winning TV executive, he won an Emmy for his role producing the PBS Kids series ‘Reading Rainbow’, America's longest running children's reading show. He's produced prime time series and collaborated with stars including Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas, Meg Ryan and Sônia Braga, as well as worked alongside the likes of Spike Lee, LeVar Burton and Bill Duke.

His book ‘Total Rethink: Why Entrepreneurs Should Act Like Revolutionaries’, released by Wiley in 2019 became a global bestseller.

In this episode we discuss:

• Qualities David believes that people should have in order to be an entrepreneur [3:33]
• First company he started and why he started it [4:59]
• How he went from having a failing business to achieving success in another [7:52]
• How he scored a contract with the Irish government and other things David is working on right now [9:14]
• How the global pandemic has accelerated areas in our daily life by a full generation [16:31]
• Advice for people who want to be an entrepreneur [19:44]
• Criteria for judging a business idea to focus on [22:23]
• David’s mentors [25:03]
• Best ways to get in touch with David [26:40]

Links to sources and tools

• Visit davidmccourt.com and see Total Rethink on Amazon.

  • Follow David McCourt on Social Media:
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mccourt-992182164/
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-broadband-ireland/
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/DCMcCourt?s=20
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dcmccourt

• Be inspired by more stories from our guests: https://passthesecretsauce.com/

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