The Evolution
Early on, I used `any` liberally. Then I went to the opposite extreme with overly complex generics. The sweet spot lives somewhere in between.
Patterns That Earned Their Keep
Discriminated Unions for State
Instead of boolean flags (`isLoading`, `isError`, `isSuccess`), discriminated unions made state impossible to represent incorrectly.
Route-Level Type Safety
Typed route params, typed search params, and typed API responses eliminated entire categories of runtime bugs.
Utility Types Over Custom Interfaces
`Pick`, `Omit`, `Partial`, and `Required` saved more boilerplate than custom interfaces ever did.
Mistakes I Won't Repeat
Over-Engineering Generics
Not everything needs to be generic. Sometimes a plain interface is clearer and more maintainable.
Typing Everything to Death
The goal is safety where it matters, not zero TypeScript errors everywhere. Know where to relax.
The Bottom Line
TypeScript is worth the upfront cost when you're building anything beyond a prototype. The real ROI shows up months later when you refactor with confidence.