S3 | E1 - Jamie Beaton (Crimson Education) on scaling a global education empire, the future of universities, and AI’s role in learning

Episode SummaryWhen Jamie Beaton co-founded Crimson Education, his goal was simple: help ambitious students get into the world’s best universities. Fast forward ten years, Crimson has 800+ staff, global offices, and a suite of education platforms spanning admissions coaching, an international online high school, and AI-powered study tools.Jamie’s personal journey is just as remarkable—Harvard undergrad, four master's degrees, a JD from Yale, a PhD from Oxford, a Rhodes Scholar. His expertise? Elite admissions, scaling global businesses, and the changing economics of education.In today’s episode, we cover:• Why the traditional university model is broken and which institutions will survive• How AI is making elite education accessible (and why most schools aren’t ready)• Why New Zealand’s smartest students need to get out—and when to return• The right way to build a world-class company, from hiring to leadership• How top universities actually admit students (hint: it’s not just grades)We also hear about Jamie’s biggest mentors, his leadership lessons, and the future of Crimson Education after its recent Series D.Time Stamps01:11 The wildest education history: Harvard, Yale, Oxford & beyond03:40 Crimson’s 10-year journey from a bold pitch to a global business06:48 How the real college admissions process works (and what most Kiwis get wrong)09:52 Buying vs. building: How Jamie makes big bets on acquisitions14:55 The myth of online education and why self-motivation changes everything18:08 How Crimson finds the next generation of ambitious Kiwis25:17 The AI revolution: Private tutoring for everyone—at 1% of the cost35:53 Is there a reckoning coming for the long tail of higher education?44:02 Why Kiwis need to get out—and when to do it56:06 The biggest leadership lessons Jamie had to unlearnResourcesJamie Beaton’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebeaton/Crimson Education – Global admissions and education platform: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/Crimson Global Academy – Online international high school: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/Revision Village – IB study resource platform: https://www.revisionvillage.com/Need-Blind Financial Aid at Harvard – How top universities fund students: https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid

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