Our thinking
Why Philos has room for only 49 people
Every dot in our logo is someone. Here's why we stopped at 49, and why nobody moves when someone leaves.
Everything we’ve written on your people.
The 49 places in your heart, who to give them to, and what happens when people come and go.
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GuidesSetting up a Family Circle
Mum and Dad at home, your sister abroad, Nani on her tablet. Here's how to make a Family Circle in Philos and share with just them.
GuidesMaking room: taking someone out of your heart, quietly
Friendships have seasons. Here's how to free a place in Philos without a scene, what changes for each of you, and how to undo it if you change your mind.
Our thinkingStrong ties, weak ties: who belongs in your 49
The friend of a friend who found you a job, and the sister who'd drive through the night. Why you need both kinds of tie, and why Philos is built for the second.
Our thinkingNames, never numbers
Philos shows who responded to what you shared, not a count of likes. Here's what changes when the number goes away.
GuidesWhat a stranger sees on your Philos link
Your name and photo. Nothing else. Here's the page someone sees when they open your link before you've added each other.
Our thinkingPath, Circles, Close Friends: the apps that tried to be small
A friend limit of 50, Circles, a Close Friends list, one photo a day. A short history of social apps that tried to be smaller, and what we learned from them.
GuidesMoments: share the small stuff for 24 hours
A first loaf, a sunset, a line of words. How to share a Moment on Philos, choose who sees it, and see who loved it, all gone after a day.
Our thinkingWhat 88 years of the Harvard happiness study found
Since 1938, Harvard researchers have followed hundreds of lives from youth to old age. Their clearest finding isn't about money or fame. It's about your people.
Our thinkingThe Christmas card list behind Dunbar's number
An anthropologist counted Christmas cards and found the shape of our friendships. What Dunbar's number says, what it doesn't, and where 49 fits in.
GuidesWho to add first: your first five places
Your heart has room for 49, but the first five matter most. Who to add first, how to invite them, and why there's no rush to fill the rest.
Our thinkingThe living room and the town square
Social media turned our photo albums into speeches in a public square. Why the room you share in changes what you share, and why Philos is built as a living room.
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