Two thoughts:

1. It might. But it might not do so in the time-frame that VC's typically expect. Since funds tend to be time-boxed, VC's generally need to see not just a specific return, but they need to see it by a certain point in time. The older a given fund is, the more pressure to "do it now".

2. That said, nothing says growth has to be a smooth curve (whether it's linear, exponential, or whatever). You could be on an exponential growth path, slow down to flat, or even shrink, due to external macro-economic factors, or strategy, or whatever, then ramp back up again later and "go exponential" when things change.

and I'm kind of surprised that they would want to encourage their portfolio to transition into that kind of company

3. Well if the alternative is going out of business and resulting in a valuation of 0 for everybody involved, almost any alternative is better. I see it not as a call to give up on being a "home run" but as a call to batten down the hatches, hunker down, weather the storm, and then adapt as circumstances change.