Creator fund
A pot of money a platform distributes to content creators based on their views/engagement, meant to reward popular content. TikTok's infamous Creator Fund is the most talked-about — and most criticized — example.
Mechanic: the platform sets aside a sum and distributes it among eligible creators by performance (views, engagement, region). Problem: a fixed pot split among ever more creators → diluted compensation; TikTok creators complained of ridiculously low payouts (cents per million views), which made the fund infamous. TikTok later replaced it with the "Creativity Program" (higher requirements, longer videos, better pay). Distinct from ad sharing (YouTube's Partner Program gives a share of ad revenue, often more predictable) and direct support (tips, subscriptions). Part of the creator economy's perennial question: how are the people who create the value compensated? Related to tip jar and super follow.