Bottom-up technology for everyone
There's a pattern in how technology spreads.
First, it's expensive and exclusive. Only corporations or governments can afford it. Then it gets cheaper. Then it becomes a utility — something everyone uses without thinking about it.
This happened with electricity. With mobile phones. With the internet.
AI is in the middle of this transition right now — but it's moving slower than it should, because the companies building it are optimizing for the top of the market.
The upside-down pricing model
ChatGPT costs $20/month. Claude Pro costs $20/month. Gemini Advanced costs $20/month.
These prices make sense if you're in San Francisco, London, or Tokyo. They're a rounding error on a knowledge worker's salary.
But they're not designed for the rest of the world.
| Country | Min. daily wage | Days to pay $20/month AI |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | ~$1.50 | 13 days |
| Kenya | ~$2.00 | 10 days |
| Philippines | ~$7.00 | 3 days |
| India | ~$3.00 | 7 days |
| Indonesia | ~$4.00 | 5 days |
| Ghana | ~$2.50 | 8 days |
| Pakistan | ~$2.00 | 10 days |
| Brazil | ~$5.00 | 4 days |
For someone in Lagos or Nairobi, $20/month isn't just expensive — it's a significant fraction of their monthly income.
This is why most of the world doesn't have access to the AI tools that are reshaping how work gets done.
The access gap creates a skills gap
When expensive tools become standard for knowledge work, the people who can't afford them fall behind.
This isn't hypothetical. It's already happening.
Developers in San Francisco use AI to write code faster, debug quicker, ship more. Freelancers in Cebu or Nairobi — who have the same skills and work the same hours — can't afford the same tools.
The gap isn't talent. It's access.
Local pricing for local realities
SimplyLouie was built on a different premise: AI should cost what makes sense for where you live.
- 🇮🇳 India: Rs165/month → simplylouie.com/in/
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria: N3,200/month → simplylouie.com/ng/
- 🇵🇭 Philippines: P112/month → simplylouie.com/ph/
- 🇰🇪 Kenya: KSh260/month → simplylouie.com/ke/
- 🇬🇭 Ghana: GH₵25/month → simplylouie.com/gh/
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia: Rp32,000/month → simplylouie.com/id/
- 🇧🇷 Brazil: R$10/month → simplylouie.com/br/
- 🇲🇽 Mexico: MX$35/month → simplylouie.com/mx/
Full Claude API access. Not a limited tier. Not a stripped-down version. The same thing.
The developer API
If you want to build with it:
curl https://simplylouie.com/api/chat \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"message": "Write me a Python script to parse CSV files"}'
Documentation at simplylouie.com/developers.
The mission behind the price
SimplyLouie is named after a rescue dog. 50% of revenue goes to animal rescue organizations.
This isn't performative. It's the reason the product exists — to build something that does good at scale, rather than extracting maximum value from people who can least afford it.
Bottom-up technology means starting with the people who have the most to gain from access, not the people who already have everything.
Try it free
7-day free trial. No charge for a week. Then $2/month — or your local equivalent.
If you're in one of those countries in the table above — or you know someone who is — share this. The access gap is real, and closing it starts with people knowing alternatives exist.
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