I'm missing the bit where there was a word of appreciation for the paying customers and I suspect that they didn't rate a mention is a factor in why this company was unsuccessful.
"I asked my close friend of 20 years how he was doing. Dmitry answered, “Awesome! I love what we’re doing these days!” ... It was obvious that my most sarcastic friend genuinely meant every word. Little did we know then, that Dishero, the company we had co-founded a year and a half ago, would be shut down within the next 72 hours as a direct result of his answer."