They could have followed the Craig's List model of monetizing just enough to cover all the costs and keep the site running, without overly focusing on revenue growth sacrificing what made the site great in the first place.
I admit this source isn't very reliable, but craigslist does more than just "get by," in fact if you're comparing it to any company besides FAANG it is extremely successful. It does so well the investors didn't even push for an IPO, they happily accept dividends.
