Some people applied early because they didn't do the research (including about how 3.5 months to do the spend is gone and Chase now only tends to give 3.0 months period) or didn't do the calendar math.

But some other people, like me, applied early because I have zero need for a companion pass (I always fly solo), and if not going for a companion pass, what's the point in waiting? In my case, I'm going for this card simply for the boatload of WN points, and the timing simply had to do with when my signup bonus (SUB) spend was finished on my last card. (I do "slow churning", meaning I only do "organic" spend, and so I don't apply for another card until I'm ending up the SUB spend on the previous card. I'm also trying to stay under 5/24, so always looking for business cards that earn useful stuff, since business cards at most banks don't add to N/24.)