Let me start with a statement that might sound bold, but in 2023, is simply a fact: If you are starting a new React project and not using TypeScript, you are accumulating technical debt from day one.
Five years ago, this was a debate. TypeScript was seen as a nice-to-have, a complex layer for large-scale enterprise projects. Today, it is the standard. As a Lead UI Engineer, I am responsible for more than just writing features; I am responsible for enforcing code quality standards and building scalable UI architectures that will last for years.
From that perspective, TypeScript isn’t a preference. It’s the single most important tool we have for building maintainable, scalable, and team-friendly applications.
If you (or your team) are still on the fence, it’s probably because you think of TypeScript as just “better autocomplete”. That’s like saying a car is just a “better horse.” The real benefits are not in the minor conveniences; they are in the fundamental, structural change it brings to your entire development process.
Pillar 1: Team Scalability (The Contract)
Software development is a team sport. The biggest challenge in a growing team is communication. How does a new developer know what data to pass to your component? How does the frontend team know exactly what shape the API response will be?
In a JavaScript-only world, the answer is “Read the docs (if they exist), look at the code, or console.log it and pray”.
In a TypeScript world, the code is the documentation.
TypeScript provides an explicit, machine-verified contract. When I define an interface for my component’s props, I am creating a non-negotiable contract for every other developer (including my future self)
This contract is critical for team velocity. It makes onboarding new developers faster and allows frontend and backend teams to work in parallel with total confidence, knowing that the “type” they agreed on (e.g., from a GraphQL API) is the single source of truth.
Pillar 2: Code Quality & Maintenance (The Guardrail)
As a lead, my job is to enforce code quality. TypeScript is my single greatest ally in this. It eliminates an entire class of bugs before they are ever written.
Think of the most common JavaScript errors:
- TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined
- NaN from an unexpected string in a calculation
- Passing arguments in the wrong order
These are not logic errors; they are type errors. TypeScript’s compiler acts as a 24/7, automated code reviewer that catches these immediately.
This isn’t just a technical win; it’s a product win. Fewer bugs in production means a better, more stable experience for users, which directly leads to “improved user satisfaction”. I’ve seen this directly in my work: a stable, predictable codebase is the foundation for a 50% decrease in web app bugs.
Pillar 3: Confident Refactoring (The Safety Net)
This is the benefit that most junior developers don’t appreciate until they’ve lived it. Your application will change. You will need to refactor your code.
- Refactoring in JavaScript: This is “grep and pray”. You Ctrl+F for a function name, change it, and then spend three days fixing all the things you didn’t know were using it. This is why I’ve had to refactor over 100 websites; many were too fragile to update.
- Refactoring in TypeScript: I change the type definition in one file. The TypeScript compiler then gives me a perfect, itemised “To-Do list” of every single file in the codebase that is now broken because of my change.
This is a superpower. It turns a terrifying, high-risk task into a simple, methodical process. It gives you the confidence to make improvements, to pay down technical debt, and to adapt your scalable UI architecture as your business goals evolve.
Supercharging Your Tests
A common myth is “TypeScript replaces the need for tests”. This is completely false.
What TypeScript does do is make your tests (like Jest and React Testing Library) more valuable. Instead of your tests wasting time checking types (“is this a number?”), they can focus on what is user behaviour and business logic (“does clicking this button add the item to the cart?”).
My tests with Playwright and RTL are focused on logic, not types, which is a far more efficient way to ensure quality.
Conclusion: It’s a Leadership Decision
As an individual developer, you might see TypeScript as extra boilerplate. As a team lead, I see it as the foundation for a professional, long-lived, and scalable product.
You don’t choose TypeScript for the code you’re writing today. You choose it for the team you’ll have in six months and for the developer who has to maintain your code in two years. In 2023, choosing TypeScript is not a technical choice; it’s a leadership choice.