I think it's "paid applause" in the sense that they often invite the product teams that were responsible for the features to be in the crowd, and they're cheeri

I think it's "paid applause" in the sense that they often invite the product teams that were responsible for the features to be in the crowd, and they're cheering for themselves and their teammates. Of course they're proud of their accomplishments and will cheer their CEO or other various VIPs pointing out the results of their hard work.