[rudi-c]

Strict null checks doesn't change the language. It doesn't make the `null` feature of JavaScript go away, it just makes it more explicit in the type annotation. So `null` isn't bad. Languages that don't have `null` have something similar like `Option`.

To me, that helps make the code more maintainable and that's the biggest benefit, even more than catching bugs. The process of maintaining code involves asking questions about the code. "What is this code for?" "Was this code written to handle <edge case>?" "Can this value, sent to me from another part of the system I'm not familiar with, ever be null?"

In a strict null check world, you can answer the last question with confidence just by looking at the type signature. Without strict null check, the types don't tell you anything about whether a variable can be null, so figuring that out can be anywhere between a distraction to a huge endeavor.