<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_virtual_machine">Java Virtual Machine (JVM)</a> is a very successful example. The JVM itself is a moderately sized program that is small enough for one programmer to understand. This has made it possible to be written for thousands of devices including phones. Once the JVM is implemented on a new device, any Java, Kotlin, or Clojure program ever written can run on it without modification. The only cost is the overhead of the VM itself and the <a href="https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/11/11/the-law-of-leaky-abstractions/">further abstraction</a> from the machine. Most of the time, this is a pretty good tradeoff.</p>
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