Revenues show sales, profits show sales + costs + spending. Wayfair, for example, has large revenues, and is profitable for its businesses, but not after it's spending. The spending though is because they've found a weakness in their business model, and they're building assets fix the problem. In the long term, they'll be able to grow faster, it will be harder for competitors to enter, and they'll be able to get higher margins. Revenue tells a story that profit can't.