Would You Rather Pay for Ads or Pay Creators Only When They Drive Sales?

Question for founders:

Would you rather spend:

A) $500 on ads and hope for sales

OR

B) $500 on creators only after they generate content and sales

Why?

It feels like the startup playbook is changing.

AI has made building products faster and cheaper than ever. Landing pages, apps, content, and even customer support can now be automated.

But distribution is still hard.

More founders seem to be moving budget away from traditional ads and toward creators, affiliates, and community-driven growth.

I'm curious:

• What's working better for you right now?

• Have you had success with creator-led growth?

• If you had $500 to spend today, where would you put it?

Would love to hear real experiences from other makers.