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.
Comme, par exemple, un avocat dans un cabinet, un avocat débutant qui accepte de commencer en bas de l’échelle, à travailler 80 heures par semaine pour pas grand chose, en se disant qu’ils vont un jour devenir associés.