They were willing to start at the bottom, just like, say, a first-year lawyer at a law firm is willing to start at the bottom, work 80-hour weeks for not that much money, because they think they're going to make partner. But the rules changed, and they never got to make partner.
Al igual que un abogado en un bufete legal dispuesto a comenzar en su primer año desde abajo, trabajando 80 horas por semana por poco dinero, porque cree que lo harán socio; pero después las reglas cambian y nunca lo hacen socio.