Happy Tuesday everybody!
Most “side hustles” are just second jobs in disguise.
They demand new skills, portfolios, consistency, and a ton of unpaid ramp-up.
But there’s a different category of side hustle that’s way simpler:
Get paid to share your opinion.
Not “take endless surveys for pennies”, I mean real user studies + focus groups where companies will pay $50–$3,000 to understand what normal people actually think.
Today, let’s talk about that.
Pick Of The Week
SideQuest - paid studies you can browse like a job board
SideQuest is basically a marketplace of paid research opportunities: remote user studies, online focus groups, and occasional in-person sessions.
What makes it work is the format:
You’re not hunting across random sketchy sites.
You can browse hundreds of opportunities and filter by:
topic
type (online vs in-person)
location
payout
And the pay ranges are legit: $50 to $3,000 per study, depending on length + how specific the audience needs to be.
A few examples of the kinds of studies you’ll see:
a 60-minute interview about workplace tech ($60–$200)
a 90-minute focus group reacting to ad concepts ($100)
multi-day at-home studies that pay a few hundred dollars
This is the kind of side hustle that fits into a normal week because it’s not a daily grind.
The problem most people run into with “paid studies”
The issue isn’t that these opportunities don’t exist.
It’s that most people:
don’t know where to find them
don’t apply consistently
or waste time on low-quality “survey” sites
Paid research is different.
Companies will happily pay when:
you fit a demographic they need
you work in a certain industry
you use specific products
you live in a certain place
you match a lifestyle (parents, students, remote workers, etc.)
SideQuest makes that visible, so you can quickly spot what you qualify for.
What I’d do if I were trying this
A simple playbook:
Apply to as many studies as you can, as quickly as you can - they fill up fast and you won’t get accepted to all of them.
When you find a category you keep matching (work tools, shopping, parenting, etc.), double down on that.
A couple solid accepts per month can cover:
groceries
subscriptions
student loan payment
or just your fun money without stress
If SideQuest isn’t for you
Here are other options that still pay you for feedback - just in slightly different ways.
🤖 Alignerr - get paid to train AI (expert lane)
What it is: A platform that pays subject-matter experts to evaluate and improve AI outputs (things like writing, coding, STEM, audio, and more).
Who it suits: If you have real domain knowledge (degree, experience, or strong technical skill) and want higher-paying remote work that’s more “assessment” than “survey.”
🎥 UserTesting - paid website/app testing (talk out loud)
What it is: You test websites or apps and narrate what you’re thinking as you click around (brands use it to catch confusing UX).
Who it suits: If you’re comfortable speaking while you work and want shorter, repeatable gigs that feel straightforward.
🧪 Trymata - usability testing + detailed feedback (more structured)
What it is: Website/app usability tests where you complete tasks and provide written + spoken feedback (often more “research-y” and structured).
Who it suits: If you like clear instructions, don’t mind being thorough, and want the “tester” style of paid feedback.
Catch you next week,
Max