Abstraction layers become simpler, more rigid and more robust as you peel them.

A painter uses rules of thumb all of the time, yet his work is entirely dependent on chemical engineers getting their science and formulas right. Artistic painting is just one of many uses of paint (and probably its most approximate), but both the painter and the industrial product engineer need the same quality assurances regarding their colors.

Hardware needs to be solid to allow all kinds of software the freedom to be built.