Besides the crowdfunding argument, it may be possible to sell an ASIC miner for more BTC than it will ever generate during its lifetime.
In practice, miners might even be a little generous in their estimates (because they are self-selecting).
And more importantly, the risk is reduced. If BTC tanks, the manufacturer will have already cashed out. If BTC goes up, the manufacture will have lost some potential profits, but will still have made a decent amount.