This is a structural feature of modern web entrepreneurship. Through a great new time-saving product with few annoyances at a low price, one builds an audience loyal enough that they can convince investors to hand them lots of money, and then fulfill whatever contractual obligation they've assumed to pound that userbase for more money/eyeballs, driving them away. Sometimes it's not even a matter of additional revenue, but stoking the ego of investors. Google, for example, just removed size from their image search in order to 'simplify the UI' for mobile users who are sexier in terms of plausible growth; This has driven away large numbers of power users, and made it manifestly less useful than Bing.
The average lifespan of a useful tool / company is only a few years; If investors are involved there is always a dark side. Userbase goodwill is a valuable resource will eventually be tapped and depleted.
The average lifespan of a useful tool / company is only a few years; If investors are involved there is always a dark side. Userbase goodwill is a valuable resource will eventually be tapped and depleted.