The piece is about Google Workspace, a paid service. Gemini was initially an add-on for it. Gemini apparently had low uptake from this already-self-selecting group of customers who are indeed willing to pay for stuff.

But rather than going back to the drawing board to make it more useful/appealing, they increased everyone's base subscription and made Gemini "free;" you know, a feature that paying customers demonstrably didn't value enough to pay for.