The Core Four Starter Stack
If you’re new to click work and side hustles, it’s tempting to collect every app under the sun. Instead, this guide shows you how to build a Core Four Starter Stack—a small set of proven gigs you can run from home that actually work together as a system.
What Is the Core Four Starter Stack?
The Core Four is a simple framework for beginners: instead of chasing 40 apps, you pick four types of gigs that cover different kinds of time and energy:
- Usability Testing – high-paying, low-frequency sessions.
- Surveys & Research Studies – steady, medium-intensity filler.
- Microtasks & AI Training – flexible, tiny chunks of work.
- Passive & Cashback Apps – background earners that stack quietly.
Together, they create a balanced earning stack you can run from home with a laptop and a phone. You’ll rarely be out of things to do, but you’re not glued to a single platform either.
Why Start with Four (Not Forty)?
- Four categories cover most legit online earning opportunities.
- You avoid burnout from bouncing between too many platforms.
- You can track what’s working and scale the winners.
- It’s easy to add or swap platforms later without rebuilding your whole system.
The Four Pillars of Your Starter Stack
1. Usability Testing (Anchor Income)
You get paid to test websites and apps while speaking your thoughts out loud. Fewer sessions, but high hourly rates when you land one.
- Best for: Clear communicators, people comfortable on mic/camera.
- Typical time: 15–30 minutes per test.
- Starter picks: UserTesting Review → • dscout Review → • Usability Testing Directory →
2. Surveys & Research Studies (Daily Fill)
High-quality surveys and academic studies fill in the gaps between tests. They won’t all be home runs, but they keep money trickling in most days.
- Best for: People who don’t mind reading and answering questions.
- Typical time: 3–20 minutes per study.
- Starter picks: Prolific Review → • Online Surveys Directory →
3. Microtasks & AI Training (Flexible Filler)
Short labeling tasks, content checks, and AI training projects you can do in tiny chunks—great for low-focus time or while binging TV.
- Best for: Detail-oriented people who follow instructions well.
- Typical time: 30 seconds to 10 minutes per task.
- Starter picks: AI Training & Microtasks Directory → • mTurk Review →
4. Passive & Cashback Apps (Background Boost)
Apps that pay or reward you for shopping you already do, sharing anonymized data, or letting them run quietly in the background. Not huge money, but they stack quietly.
- Best for: Anyone with a smartphone and regular purchases.
- Typical time: 1–5 minutes per day after setup.
- Starter picks: Passive & Cashback Apps Directory → • Ibotta Review →
Want a Plug-and-Play Core Four Plan?
My book “Click Work: Make Money Online Without Becoming a Social Media Influencer” plus the Click Work Tracker give you a full roadmap and simple dashboard for running your Core Four stack like a mini business.
Step 1: Choose Your Core Platforms
You don’t need the “perfect” platforms on day one. You just need one solid option for each category so you can start earning and collecting data on what works for you.
Recommended Starter Stack (Example)
- Usability Testing: UserTesting or a similar testing platform in your region.
- Surveys & Studies: Prolific as your main study hub.
- Microtasks & AI: One microtask platform (mTurk, Clickworker, or similar).
- Passive & Cashback: A cashback app (like Ibotta) plus one receipt app.
This combo gives you at least one earning option for high-focus, medium-focus, and low-focus time every day.
Where to Find Your Core Four
- Use the GigReviewer Directory → to browse each category.
- Look for platforms with transparent pay, decent reviews, and clear rules.
- Avoid apps that require big upfront purchases or membership fees.
- Start with 2–3 platforms max per category, then prune later.
Step 2: Plug the Core Four into a Simple Routine
The Core Four works because each category matches a specific kind of time. Here’s an example of how to use them in a normal day:
- Morning (10–20 minutes): Check usability testing dashboards and research platforms for new, high-paying studies.
- Workday breaks (5–15 minutes): Knock out a survey or two from your main study panel.
- Evening (30–60 minutes): Focused block for usability tests, microtasks, or higher-paying research sessions.
- Background / errands: Let passive and cashback apps do their thing on every grocery run and online purchase.
You’re not trying to be “always on.” You’re assigning each platform a role so you know exactly what to open when you have 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or a full hour.
Example 7-Day Core Four Schedule
- Mon–Thu: 45-minute evening block for tests and studies.
- Fri: Light surveys only; review earnings and cash out.
- Sat: Optional “power hour” for high-paying research gigs.
- Sun: 15-minute reset: update profiles, check new platforms, tweak your stack.
Step 3: Track Your Core Four and Cut the Weak Links
The whole point of the Core Four is to stay focused on what pays. That means tracking your time and earnings so you can see which platforms deserve more of your energy—and which should be deleted.
- Log time in, time out for each session or batch of tasks.
- Record payouts (including bonuses and tips) per platform.
- Note mental energy: which gigs feel draining vs. easy.
- Review weekly: keep your top 3–5 platforms, test 1 new one, cut the bottom performers.
You don’t have to obsess over every cent, but you do want a big-picture view of where your hours are going and what they’re returning.
Tools That Make Tracking Easier
- Click Work Tracker: Log sessions, payouts, and platforms in one simple dashboard.
- Spreadsheet backup: Date, platform, minutes, and amount earned is enough.
- Weekly reminder: Calendar notification to review numbers every Sunday.
Bring It Together: Your First Real Click Work System
The Core Four Starter Stack gives you something most people never build: a simple, intentional earning system. Instead of randomly chasing new apps, you’ll know exactly which gigs to open, when to use them, and how to tell if they’re worth keeping.
- Pick one platform in each Core Four category.
- Plug them into a basic daily and weekly routine.
- Track time and earnings in the Click Work Tracker or a simple sheet.
- Cut what doesn’t pay, double down on what does, and only then add new platforms.