Could you talk a bit more about the focus on linux? How much of the ecosystem is running a full OS vs a small embedded program?
For embedded systems, you'd have to include the command and control elements in, which then gets into concerns about the amount of memory (both RAM and flash consumed).
For example, the ESP* devices historically have had challenges because you don't have enough flash storage to hold a proper SSL anchor chain. Suffice it to say there is a LOT of nuance when working in the embedded world which vanishes if you (even if just for the purposes of minimal viable product) focus on a full OS.
Linux has been standard in the cloud for a long time and as a result the tooling is pretty mature now. Projects like Kubernetes are great for managing servers in the cloud and have become quite standard. We noticed the same level of tooling for running Linux on devices just wasn't there yet, and so we decided to try and fix that!
That being said, there are certainly use cases where Linux isn't the best choice. If you have realtime requirements or you need low power usage then using an RTOS is a better option.