They could also end up running out of money before they get it right, or another company might come out with a chip that is just a bit better and cheaper a year

They could also end up running out of money before they get it right, or another company might come out with a chip that is just a bit better and cheaper a year before them. Apple didn't build their M1 chip from scratch. By the time the M1 chip was released they had already been building chips for the iPhone and iPad for several years!