The two aren't mutually exclusive. I'm sure the coders at Pets.com were working their asses off too. It didn't make the business model any more sustainable.
In fact, that's actually the problem with the labor theory of value. It ignores the fact that all the work in the world is of no value if there isn't someone willing to pay for it. That, in a nutshell was the crux of the dot-com bubble. A lot of people put a lot of work into making cool things, but totally ignored how much people were willing to pay. Raw enthusiasm gained them followers and investors, but enthusiasm cannot mask the lack of profit forever.
In fact, that's actually the problem with the labor theory of value. It ignores the fact that all the work in the world is of no value if there isn't someone willing to pay for it. That, in a nutshell was the crux of the dot-com bubble. A lot of people put a lot of work into making cool things, but totally ignored how much people were willing to pay. Raw enthusiasm gained them followers and investors, but enthusiasm cannot mask the lack of profit forever.