This is why I'm an embedded programmer on small MCUs. Give me C99 and a datasheet and I'll give you the world in 64kb. Though times are changing in that world

This is why I'm an embedded programmer on small MCUs. Give me C99 and a datasheet and I'll give you the world in 64kb. Though times are changing in that world too. Sometimes you have to use a library. And more and more those libraries require an RTOS. Just about to make the plunge into Zephyr so I can use the current Nordic BLE SDK. Having hard limits to RAM and flash is a great way to prevent bloat. Management is happy to let engineers grind for a month reducing code size of it means the code will fit into a cheaper MCU with less flash and save a 10¢ on the BOM. Pure software has no such incentive to minimize resources because the user buys the HW separately. If anything, some SW companies have an incentive to add bloat if they're the same company that sells you a new phone when your old one becomes too slow.