Roberto Hortal

Hi, I’m Roberto Hortal
People-first. AI-powered. Building teams that punch above their weight.

Get notified of new posts. I write about AI, Product and Technology Management, and Empowering Teams.

Roberto Hortal. CPTO, Wall Street English

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Meet Roberto Hortal: a tireless innovator with over 20 years’ Product and Innovation experience at senior level across a range of sectors including Education, Green Tech, Energy, Retail, Travel, Insurance and Telecommunications.

I am Chief Product and Technology Officer at Wall Street English. Throughout my career, I have led Product, Technology and Innovation at several global B2C and B2B organisations.

I am passionate about transforming organisations, adopting the tools and practices of the Internet era to respond to the evolving needs of customers and colleagues.

The Hardware Illusion: Why AI Agents, Not Gadgets, Are the Real Paradigm Shift

In 2009, Palm unveiled webOS — software so good that Steve Jobs allegedly panicked. Multi-tasking, card-based navigation, developer-friendly …

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We’ve Always Been Building Paperclip Machines

My former colleague Mark House wrote something this week that's been rattling around in my head. He references the Universal Paperclips game — a …

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The Malthusian Effect of AI

Malthus was wrong. He predicted that population growth would outpace food production, leading to inevitable societal collapse. Technology proved him …

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The Quiet Surrender

Putt's Law states that technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do …

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What Wall Street English Taught Me About AI in Education

I have spent this series writing about AI in education as an outside observer — analysing trends, citing research, drawing conclusions. But I am not …

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The Study Nobody in EdTech Is Quoting

There's a study that should be everywhere in education conversations. It isn't. Published in Scientific Reports — Nature's peer-reviewed journal — in …

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