> they're going to have to start selling future chips that cannot possibly be physically produced.
…but that would be unethical.
cue the laugh track
…but that would be unethical.
cue the laugh track
It happens due to failed estimates (we thought we could start production in January but we couldn't figure out the process until March), upstream supply failures (our surface-mount supplier can't get us enough capacitors), or global market conditions (concrete and steel unexpectedly doubled in price and we can't afford to build the whole building this year).
It happens all the time and isn't your fault (but it is your responsibility to handle).
This is true in the ordinary course of business. But we may be in an extraordinary situation where, if the chipmakers do not overcommit, their stock price collapses today. Given the choice between blowing up now or blowing up 2 years from now, these companies may very well be choosing to blow up in the future. A lot could happen in the meantime, including bankruptcy of their customers. Which would certainly solve their overcommitment problem.