PhiBots is an applied architecture research laboratory based in Brazil, operating since 2021.
We apply the results of our research to real engineering problems. The research asks whether the fundamental structure of complex systems can be discovered and made explicit — and whether that knowledge can be used to design, govern, and evolve systems more reliably. The consulting asks what that means for a specific system in front of us.
What we do
We are hired to build and maintain software systems. Our current engagement is with FITec Labs, where we work on Ericsson Billing — a large-scale telecommunications billing product — as part of a senior engineering team.
In parallel, we conduct independent research and development. Derivable Architectures emerged from that work — a methodology for designing systems from first principles, with full traceability from abstract decisions to concrete implementation. MyNumber.is is the first product built entirely within that methodology.
Background
The founder has a background that spans experimental physics and software engineering. A PhD in physics — with work across nonlinear optics, condensed matter, and materials under extreme conditions — formed the habit of thinking carefully about what is actually being observed, what can be concluded from it, and what remains an open question.
Programming came earlier than physics. It has been a continuous practice for over two decades, currently centered on C++ and systems engineering. The combination — rigorous experimental training applied to software architecture problems — is what made the DA research program possible and gives it its particular character.
Why PhiBots
The φ in PhiBots is the golden ratio — the proportion by which many beautiful things in nature organize themselves. It was chosen as a reminder that elegant structure is not imposed on systems; it emerges from them. That intuition predates the DA research program, but the two turned out to be compatible.
Other projects
Other projects include FutureImpactLab, a structured strategic foresight platform that brings together multidisciplinary participants — human and artificial — to examine plausible futures through a disciplined protocol and produce actionable proposals.
A note on how we work
We are a small operation. We do not have a sales team, a marketing budget, or a portfolio of case studies prepared for a pitch deck. What we have is a track record of careful work, a methodology under active development, and a genuine interest in problems that are hard to reason about.
If that sounds like what you need, we would like to hear about it.