From an investor standpoint it'd be disappointing to not get a big payoff, but 37signals sometimes frames it as a failure to not be a huge profit machine. They don't consider the positive repercussions of operating a sustainable business (jobs, quality of life, etc). As I said, I'd be more than happy to make an average salary and be responsible for creating jobs that allow others to support themselves and their families. I'd like to make killer profits too, but there's value in breaking even too.
Profit is a major component of sustainability. Businesses that put off making profit long enough tend to go poof much more often than become sustainable or profitable in the end.
