“Learning Is Always Uncomfortable”: How Hotspot School of English Puts Results First
IT ClusterHotspot School is a Ukrainian online English school that, since 2014, has been challenging the illusion of learning by prioritizing structure, intensity, and high standards. Its students are professionals who use English for career development, relocation, or international projects. In this interview, Max Burtsev, co-founder of Hotspot, shares his vision, values, and transformative stories that truly inspire.
How and why was Hotspot founded?
My partner Oksana and I launched Hotspot in 2014. To be honest, we created it initially for ourselves. We were searching for a school that could match the high level of effectiveness we were used to during our linguistic education. I wanted structured, systematic, intensive learning that delivered real, tangible results.
Oksana, now the head methodologist at our school, sought to implement her vision of impactful teaching. She aimed to develop a method that would produce strong outcomes, not just simulate the process of learning. That’s how Hotspot was born — first as a solution to our own demand for high-quality education, and only later as a business.
What challenges did you face?
The biggest challenge we observed was the market’s shift towards comfort over effectiveness. Most schools aimed to make learning easy, pleasant, even entertaining. But we knew from experience: real learning is uncomfortable by nature. If you want high results, you must be willing to put in the effort.
Some people benefit from a light, enjoyable learning format — and that’s perfectly fine. But others need English urgently and thoroughly. Not for fun, not for a certificate, but for a career leap, a new position, or relocation. These are the people who truly need English.
Hotspot was created for them — for those who are serious and ready to work hard for results.
How has Hotspot changed in 10 years?
We’ve fully transitioned to an online format. We’ve established our own teacher training school, where instructors are trained to meet our exceptionally high internal standards. We’ve grown more than tenfold and launched new initiatives — including our own English proficiency test for companies:
PTGE (Proficiency Test of General English).
We’ve also undergone deep digital transformation: automating internal processes, developing our own online learning platform, and implementing systems to track student progress. This further reinforces our core philosophy — that education must produce real, measurable results. Yet the heart of Hotspot — our methodology and intensity — has remained unchanged since day one.
What is Hotspot’s mission, and what does freedom in learning mean to you?
We are a truly Ukrainian English school in the sense that we believe freedom is the highest value. Freedom means choice — and choice is only possible when you’re exposed to various worldviews and can consciously select the ones that resonate with you. A new language brings a new worldview, and that leads to new ways of thinking, living, and being.
We teach English to those who want to be free individuals — and who want to help make the world more free.
Over the years, our school has adopted three slogans that encapsulate our values:
- No bullshit.
- Learning is always uncomfortable. If you feel comfortable, you are not learning.
- Academically hard — emotionally friendly.
What defines high-quality language education?
High-quality language education means aligning the learning process with today’s realities — like the integration of EdTech and AI — while achieving a clear outcome: mastery of the language in grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and authenticity. Accuracy, fluency, and authenticity — that’s our holy trinity.
The process must be dynamic to deliver meaningful, lasting results in the shortest necessary timeframe.
What makes your methodology different?
Since there’s no magic pill, we’ve chosen a tough but rewarding path. The road is winding, but the future is bright because:
- We apply andragogy, not pedagogy.
- We use an aspect-based approach, studying the three key aspects of language separately for better focus.
- Each aspect is taught by a dedicated specialist.
- Our content follows the 80/20 rule: 20% of material delivers 80% of results.
- The core course runs for 4 months — 48 classes, 90 minutes each.
- Monthly tests on each aspect aren’t just for control — they’re growth tools.
How do you motivate students?
Our student motivation system is grounded in the “Academically hard — emotionally friendly” principle. We are the only school in Ukraine that dismisses students who, after the second and third months, score less than 55% on cumulative tests.
We do this because such students can hold back the progress of others.
At the same time, our students receive deep support from both teachers and managers. Plus, anyone who scores 80% or above can earn a 50% tuition discount. This helps us build strong groups and create role models.
What learning formats does Hotspot offer?
Our signature practice is Thinking Out Loud (TOLs) — students record daily audio reflections in English on various topics. Other formats include:
- Elevator Pitches — short pair dialogues in Zoom
- Critiques — critical evaluations of AI-generated content based on any grammar or vocabulary topic students request
Who are your students?
Our students include managers, marketers, IT specialists, entrepreneurs — anyone who wants to use English as a tool for career growth, new opportunities, and meaningful change. Ages range from 18 to 60+, with language levels from A1 to C1.
Are there stories you’re proud of?
Many. Here are just a few 👇
- One of our graduates, Iryna Kondratova, was given a unique opportunity: David Beckham handed over his Instagram account so she could share a message about Ukraine with his millions of followers.
- A student who started at level A1 went on to work for an international agency helping families adopt children.
- Another, who began with A2, ended up hosting international conferences, confidently speaking English to audiences of hundreds.
- And the most typical story: finish Hotspot, level up, and land a new job with a salary 2–3 times higher.
These stories aren’t just about how good Hotspot is — they’re about the hard work, sleepless nights, perseverance, and trust of our students.
How do you choose your teachers?
High-quality learning requires high-quality teaching — both in knowledge and in human connection. Our instructors go through testing, interviews, and months of methodological coaching. We look for those who:
- love English
- align with our values
- have energy, drive, and a desire to grow
Diplomas, certificates, or even CELTA are not required. What matters is that the teacher knows and loves English as much as we do. We are especially proud that some of our teachers are Hotspot alumni.
“We teach the way we’d want to be taught ourselves.”
Hotspot is for those who don’t just want to study English — they want to master it with confidence and purpose. It’s a place where support meets high standards, and learning brings real life change.
At Kharkiv IT Cluster, we firmly believe: together with partners like Hotspot, we’re not only transforming the quality of IT education — we’re reshaping the worldview of an entire generation of professionals. Hotspot is the partner with whom we’ll raise the level of communication and competitiveness in Ukrainian IT.
You can learn more about Hotspot’s work at the following links:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Telegram
