7 Viral Side Hustles That Don’t Always Deliver

It’s easy to get sucked in. One minute you’re watching a quick video, and the next, you’re convinced that selling printables or flipping pallets will cover your rent. But once the excitement wears off, reality hits. A lot of these viral side gigs take more effort, money, or luck than people admit. And while some do pay off, many just leave you frustrated—or worse, in the hole. Before you dive in, here are seven viral side gigs that often don’t live up to the hype.

Print-on-Demand Shops

Starting a t-shirt or mug shop sounds simple enough, but the market is flooded. Without strong design skills, marketing knowledge, or a built-in audience, sales are slow. Many people spend more time and money on mockups and ads than they make in profit (if they make any at all.)

Survey Sites That Promise Big Payouts

They pop up in every ad: “Make $500 a week taking surveys from home!” But the truth is, most surveys pay pennies and disqualify you halfway through. It’s repetitive, time-consuming work with very little reward—and there are far better uses for your time.

Dropshipping Stores

Dropshipping looks good on paper—no inventory, flexible hours—but it’s rarely that simple. You’ll likely spend hundreds on ads and still struggle to stand out. Shipping delays, poor product quality, and customer complaints can quickly tank your store before it ever takes off.

Renting Out Your Car

Apps that let you rent your car to strangers sound like easy passive income, but the risks are real. Wear and tear, insurance headaches, and potential damage can make the extra money not worth the hassle. One bad experience could wipe out your earnings.

Reselling Items From Big Box Stores

Buying clearance items to flip online can work—if you know what you’re doing. But most viral videos skip over the hours of research, trial and error, and returns. Many new sellers end up with unsold inventory and slimmer profit margins than expected.

Day Trading on Your Phone

Clips of “day in the life” traders make it look easy: buy low, sell high, repeat. In reality, it’s stressful, risky, and rarely profitable for beginners. Quick trades without a solid strategy can lead to fast losses—and it’s not the guaranteed money-maker some influencers claim.

Getting Paid To Test Products

You may get free stuff, but actual payment is rare. Most product testing gigs require hours of feedback, long surveys, or unpaid waitlists. While it feels fun at first, the time spent rarely matches the return—and you may just end up with clutter.

Focusing on the Wrong Gig Wastes Time

Not every side hustle needs to be a long-term thing—but your time still matters. Going viral doesn’t guarantee income, and some of the trendiest gigs deliver more frustration than freedom. Before jumping in, take a closer look at what you’re really getting into.

This article first appeared on Cents + Purpose.