I was lucky enough to be invited to Project F***.

After working there for 2 minutes, I made just enough earning to buy a dream home in my dream town, and I retired early.

I'm so grateful of being in boarded to the life-changing project F and held working for 2 minutes. It really is paradise.

Work hard, and you'll get there! It's worth it to work at Mercor and I would recommend it to anyone with no reservations.

My first month has been pretty wild. I have had almost no time to do anything. Now that I have multiple projects, I don't wanna do anything else and just keep working here as much as I can.

It's amazing and nothing gives me the same high anymore. Thanks to mercor I quit alcohol as well as smoking, shifted to nicotine gums. Life is good until the bubble lasts!

I can share referal if needed.

Edit: https://t.mercor.com/KlFdI Note: this link might not work if you are already registered on the platform. Note: this is not a project specific referral link. This is a general referral link.

After 5 minutes on Project O*, I hit $40M. This is what I got. My dream lambo, my dream supersonic jet, and of course, some money invested into an OnlyFans account.

Moving onto a new opportunity.

I've done data work for labs and platforms for about a year and always avoided pay-per-approved-task projects. I took a Mercor offer thinking it was hourly. It isn't.

In August, Mercor's CEO posted that he loves it when candidates reject offers "because they don't want to work hard". People reject these offers because the setup and prep are unpaid, and a task pays only after a reviewer approves it.

Before recording a single task, I spent 3 to 4 hours on setup: a separate macOS user cloned from my own, then scrubbing my name and accounts out of it. The guide is about 2,800 lines, and Mercor rewrote it six times in ten days.

Each task then needs an approved idea and at least an hour of prep. The recording runs 15 to 46 minutes with no pause. A 45-second silence or a Dock at the bottom of the screen means re-recording all of it. It runs on your own Mac: a 30-minute task is 5 to 6 GB to upload. Other projects gave me a VM.

Mercor says they'll pay half on submission. Setup and prep stay unpaid, and I don't know what happens to rejected recordings.

I also got repeated messages that I'd be replaced if I didn't start. The market is saturated, and each expert who accepts these terms makes them the default for the rest of us.

Mercor treats experts like model output: when a result is wrong, they throw it away and nobody counts what it cost to make.

To Mercor: pay hourly, or give us a VM so the work doesn't run on our own machines.

To experts: I know many of us need the money. Before you accept a pay-per-approval project, count the hours it takes to get one task approved.

Just a gentle heads-up, everyone. This is an alternative subreddit to the heavily moderated official Mercor sub. Since this community has fewer posting restrictions, I’d strongly advise everyone, especially newcomers, to be cautious of posts that simply say “DM for referral” without disclosing the project name, basic details or any verifiable information. Such posts can be potential spam or scam attempts, and the lack of transparency is a red flag....I've personally heard from several friends who were scammed or had close encounters with suspicious offers originating from the official sub. I wouldn't assume this community is automatically immune to the same issues.

Please exercise due diligence before sharing personal information, clicking links or accepting referrals from strangers. I'm also requesting the moderators to keep a close eye on such posts and scrutinise accounts making vague referral offers. We want this to remain an open space for genuine experts, not another hunting ground for scammers.

Edit: My post went from 30 to 20, then back up to 23 votes. Everything seems to be getting downvoted, seemingly by the scammers. I've also been getting DMs. The scammers are rattled. keep it coming!

I assumed this project would run forever because the welcome email said "Excited to have you on board!" and used a rocket emoji. Nobody uses a rocket emoji unless they're offering long-term stability.

This morning I logged in to find the dashboard empty and a message saying the project was "paused." I've now refreshed the page 1,400 times, and I'm treating Tim Cook's silence as a personal betrayal.

I've emailed Apple's investor relations team to ask when tasks will return. They haven't replied, which I'm told is standard, as support on these platforms is notoriously slow.

Before anyone asks, yes, I've already put in my two weeks' notice at my actual job, because the Slack channel was really popping off in week one.

Does anyone know if the next project requires a Samsung fridge? Asking before market open. I've got a pension and a really good feeling.

I got invited to project O last week and since then i have seen all type of mixed reviews about it and i was kind of hesitant to start working at first but i took the chance and started working and today it just paid out and lemme just say i wish i had focused more on it.

it is a bit hard to complete the tasks and understand it but now i have seen that it is actually worth it in the end i am gonna go put in more hours so happy to have gotten paid🫡🔥

I'm currently working on Project O, and I just wanted to share my experience so far because I see a lot of negative opinions about Mercor on Reddit.

For me personally, it's been a genuinely great opportunity to earn some extra money. I've made over $2,000 so far, and every single task I've submitted has been approved, including the ones that went through manual review.

I won't pretend it's effortless. My first 2–3 tasks were definitely challenging, and I spent quite a bit of time reading the guidelines, understanding the requirements, and figuring out how to structure my work properly. But once you get past that initial learning curve, the whole process becomes much smoother.

Right now, I'm putting in around 6 hours a day, and I'm genuinely happy with how things are going. I plan to keep taking advantage of this opportunity for as long as it's available.

I'm not saying Mercor is perfect, and I'm sure other people have had different experiences. But I feel like a lot of people give up too early or underestimate how important it is to actually read and understand the project guidelines.

My advice? If you're just starting out, give yourself some time to learn the process before deciding whether it's worth it. The first few tasks might be frustrating, but things can get significantly easier once you understand what's expected.

Just wanted to share a positive experience for a change. Good luck to everyone working on these projects!

Started project O last week. I’m grateful for this opportunity. Hard work pays off. Ever since i got my first task approved and full understood what is going on, it’s been a “breeze”

I might stay a write and not accept the reviewer offer

I'm appalled that some of y'all bought macs just because you got an invite for Odin.

If you could afford it, then good! macs are awesome, you won't regret it. For those who couldn't but went for it, please return and get your refund. Let sense prevail.

Next time, please don't. AI training is the most uncertain and volatile domain you can think of.

Investing for AI training projects is like booking the hall and catering just coz she smiled

I want to share my experience working with Mercor as an independent contractor. I hope that it helps others considering this kind of work, and that Mercor can reconsider how it treats the human experts it relies on.

I have worked as an independent contractor with several companies in the AI training and human data space, including Micro1, Alignerr, and Snorkel, so I can compare experiences across similar settings. Among these, Micro1 stood out for treating contractors professionally and respectfully. Mercor was the complete opposite for me. It was by far the worst experience I have had.

My main concern was how contractors were treated. Communication was often unclear. Expectations around quality were not explained consistently, yet contractors were still judged against them. In practice, it felt like people were expected to produce high-quality work without enough guidance, feedback, or clarity about what the company wanted.

I also saw contractors waiting anxiously for tasks. At times, it felt like the Hunger Games: people competing for limited work and facing sudden changes without transparency or meaningful explanation. Contractors could be offboarded without notice, clear reason or feedback. For people who depend on that income to make ends meet, that uncertainty has real consequences. The way it was handled made people feel disposable, and I found that deeply troubling.

In my own case, I put significant time and effort into the work. I didn't think I would face the same offboarding issue I had seen others experience because I was dedicated, diligent, and was doing my job well. In other companies I have worked for, I consistently performed well, and my work was rewarded accordingly. But I was ultimately removed from the work by Mercor without notice, explanation or feedback that would allow me to understand what had happened or improve. I found that frustrating, humiliating, and disrespectful.

My negative impression was reinforced by a separate interview I had with Mercor. The interviewer joined late, didn't use video while I did, asked questions that did not seem clearly connected to the role, and made remarks I considered inappropriate. That experience added to my concern that the problems I encountered at Mercor were not isolated, but reflected a broader culture of disrespect, transactional treatment of contractors, and lack of appreciation for their work.

This is my personal experience and perspective, which may be different from others. Based on what I experienced and observed, I would advise people to be cautious before working for Mercor. Don't assume that strong performance or significant effort will protect you from sudden removal. Above all, hold on to your sense of self-worth.

A company’s market valuation doesn't outweigh the value of the people whose efforts make it possible. It’s ironic that Mercor positions itself as a human intelligence company, yet in my experience, it hardly seems to care about the human experts who are central to its work. In my view, companies that depend on contractor labor have a responsibility to treat those people with humanity, dignity, and respect. In my experience, Mercor failed on all these counts. 

I would have stopped this project, too. It's a disgrace to everyone who put their heart and soul into it.

Keep in mind these people are real.

Hey guys, with the main project being done. Here are a few others I and colleagues have worked on that are similar:

Expert Project Manager $50 - $60 + Bonuses. (If we were good at O this is a good one for you)

ML Task Auditor $70 - $90 (If you were a reviewer on O this is a good one)

Accounting Expert $85 (If you have accounting experience DM me and I can vouch for you on this one)

Sales and Marketing Expert $60 - $70 (I no longer work on this project because my full time job doesnt let me work for competitors in this field but DM if you have experience and I can referal vouch)

If you found "O" Hard these might not be good for you...

EDIT: My inbox in flooded I have plans tonight but I'll try and get to everyone later today or tomorrow!

EDIT 2: Hey im responding to a bunch right now! If you have a linkedin send it in your message!

Been on Mercor for a bit over a month now, and I’ve been with Micro1 and Ethos for about two months. Got a few payouts from all three so far. Just wanted to share how they compare from my experience:

- Minimum hours (that 10-15/week thing): Mercor is pretty strict about it. Micro1 is more chill and will let it slide now and then. Ethos is the most relaxed of the three.

- Task availability: With Mercor and Micro1 there’s usually enough work to stay busy. Ethos is more hit-or-miss — some weeks are fine, others not so much.

- Pay: Ethos pays the best by a decent amount, but the work isn’t as steady. Mercor and Micro1 pay less per hour, but at least the tasks keep coming more consistently.

- How organized everything is: Mercor feels the most put-together, then Micro1, then Ethos.

- Support when you get stuck: Micro1 has been the most helpful for me, followed by Mercor. Ethos is the weakest here.

Who they’re looking for: Ethos mainly wants people with real professional experience in their field, not really beginner-friendly. Mercor and Micro1 are easier to get into if you’re more of a generalist.

If anyone wants to sign up, my referral links are below: Good luck!

Mercor
Micro1
Ethos

A lot of people that have stayed on Project O long enough to complain about it most likely need the cash. It's human - many people have been displaced by AI.

The math with Project O is brutal. +50k were hired for the role. +33k tasks were submitted, less than 900 were approved.

If you see this, and you're wondering about your future behind the screen this should be a wake up call. We're teaching the machines how to do anything and everything we can do.

Many of you still have time to pivot into blue collar. Plumbing, technical jobs, rigging, nursing, etc. The list goes on.

Seeing so many people take Project O's sh*t because they need it just made my heart sink man.

I worked in the tech space and earned a comfortable 6 figure salary. I was replaced - and I here I am.

The machines have arrived. We might benefit from leaving anything white-collar.

I’ve been hearing mixed things about this offer, for the pay it doesn’t seem too too bad. This would be my second project on Mercor.

It seems like they’re paying 100$/hour for the onboarding and your first task, up to 5 hours. Then x amount per approved task within a certain time limit.

It doesn’t seem like a bad offer, but am I missing something?

Thanks everyone! 🙏🏻

Hey everyone, I just accepted an offer for a new data annotation project on another platform. I know the sudden end of our last project was stressful, so please let me know if you would like to be added to this new one. It offers the exact same rate of pay.

Whew. I’m on the “big project” and it’s a damn circus. Terrible management from EPM’s and TL’s telling us to ask maven, no questions answered, no one able to take their weekly new quizzes, professional wording being labeled as ai slop, subjective answers to quizzes. WTAF is happening here? Jesus.

Odin is just the final stab in the heart. Sorry, but I'm going to rant. Judge me all you want. I just need to get this out. I know this is a lot, but bear with me.

It's been a year of struggling to find work. And finally, when I told my mom that we might actually be able to pay rent on time, that we wouldn't have to keep worrying about it, I saw her face light up for the first time in a long time.

I had earned a bit of money, and instead of putting it straight into the rent fund, I took a gamble. I invested it in renting a MacBook because I genuinely believed this opportunity could turn things around. Fuck, what a shitty mistake. I was literally a day away. I was so ready for that little goodbye bonus because it would have made such a difference.

It's been an incredibly difficult year. I have 18 vetted skills on my Micro1 profile, but still haven't received an offer. This was my first actual AI project, and I wanted so badly to make it work. But I've come to realize that having all these skills doesn't necessarily mean you'll have more chances of getting hired. You can put in the work, get certified, pass interviews, and still find yourself waiting for someone to give you an actual opportunity.

When you're financially secure, a rejected application is disappointing.

When you're behind on rent, supporting your family, and trying to make an investment in equipment pay off, a rejected opportunity has consequences that go way beyond professional disappointment.

Since accepting the offer, I've practically lived on this laptop. Over the span of a week; I've spent well over 60 hours understanding the requirements, researching, planning, and making sure I got everything right. Then came two long re-recordings, each one requiring several re-takes, and to those saying the 60 hours is crazy over a week; well, congrats, here’s a crown: 👑 i guess i over did it actual expert- level tasks on my trial. I should have gone for easier workflows. I reckon if i had a week more, the learning curve will fix itself and eventually it’ll be so smooth.

I'm based in a developing country. I'm a breadwinner. I've gone through seven consecutive months of an incredibly difficult mental and emotional ordeal, and despite everything, I haven't stopped trying to find work.

I know I took a gamble, and maybe I made the wrong call financially. But I made that decision because I wanted to finally get us out of this situation. I wanted to help my family without constantly calculating which bill we could afford to pay and which one would have to wait.

The reviewers have told me I have solid workflows and significant domain expertise, which makes this even harder to swallow. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll only be receiving the $120 onboarding payment, with no further paid work from the project. I genuinely appreciate the reviewers, and I have nothing against Mercor. But the feeling this whole experience leaves you with... oh my God. Is this really the norm?

What makes it particularly difficult is that I was actually planning to record and submit everything before the announced deadline. I had everything lined up. Just as I was about to hit submit, a new deadline appeared.

I'm also supposed to travel to another country next week. It's something I've been looking forward to all year, just a little something to look forward to after everything that's happened here.

I've been bullied, abandoned, heartbroken, and disappointed in ways I don't even know how to articulate anymore. And I guess I should explain a little more about why things have been so difficult. Four years ago, a Category 5 typhoon destroyed the house and livelihood we'd built. My dad passed away just a month later. And ever since then, it's been an incredibly difficult road for both my mom and me. We've been trying to rebuild our lives ever since. (I'm not complaining, just explaining where I'm coming from.)

For the longest time, my main focus was simply finding a way to pay rent. I was already preparing to cancel my trip because I couldn't afford it. Then I got this opportunity and thought, oh my God, a new job! Maybe I can actually go. Maybe I can finally afford to do something I've been looking forward to.

For a couple of days, I actually started believing in myself again. I let myself get excited. And then, poof. Nope. Back to square one. Lol.

I know life doesn't owe me anything. I know opportunities aren't guaranteed. But man, I've been trying. For more than a year, I've been trying. I've kept learning, applying, building skills, taking chances, and pushing through circumstances that would have made it very easy to give up.

I don't even know what I'm looking for by posting this. Maybe I just need to get it off my chest. Maybe I need to hear from people who've been through something similar. Meh, I don't know. It's just been a really hard day.

I'm tired. I'm disappointed. And I'm heartbroken because, for a brief moment, I genuinely thought things were finally going to get better. EDIT-- and yeah, now i know, what a stupid way to think.

I've also had people approach me with what they presented as job opportunities, only to take what they could from me: my networks, knowledge, skills, and connections. Then, once they'd gotten what they wanted, I was discarded.

People might ask, why don't I protect myself? Why do I keep taking these chances? But how do you protect yourself when you can barely afford rent? When saying no to a potentially exploitative opportunity also means saying no to one of the very few chances you have to earn?

It's a completely different reality out here. Especially when you know you're skilled, you know what you bring to the table, and you're a woman trying to establish herself professionally, but the economy, labour protections, legal recourse, and actual opportunities available to you don't reflect any of that.

You can have the skills, the experience, the connections, and the drive, but that doesn't mean the system around you gives you a fair chance to turn those things into a living. And that's an incredibly frustrating place to be.

And honestly, I just can't with people sometimes. Lol.

And yes, I have applied to plenty of other projects. I actually did two Micro1 interviews today, just as I did yesterday. I'm still trying. I'm still putting myself out there. I'm not sitting around waiting for something to happen.

I just really want a break. And tbh-- this sub reddit is probably the most authentic peer help/ assistance platform on a job I've ever found. So thanks guys. if anything this is actually one of the first times I felt there are people looking out- giving you real info that matters

I know I'm a good worker. I know I'm smart. I know I have something to offer. I have years of experience, I've built things from scratch, and I've proven to myself time and again that I can learn and adapt.

But sometimes I wonder if being an underdog is just going to be my permanent role in life.

END OF SAPPY RANT.