[liampulles]

I think loose typing helps to prototype faster, while static typing helps you write the correct/safe version faster.

But part of doing the correct version is clarifying spec, and prototyping can help with that - so it is a weakly held opinion.

[mrcwinn]

I could not disagree with this more. You are aided in prototyping by forming an early opinion on your data models. I would argue there's nothing more important in conceiving of something new than understanding the shape and relationships in your data. Typing does that.

And nothing slows a developer down more than accruing technical debt as they build. It's like having tar stuck to your shoes. You will work the fastest when you have nothing to pay back because your mental model of the application is aligned with the intention of your program.

(That said, I don't think you necessarily need a strong static type system to achieve these aims.)

[EarthLaunch]

Maybe it depends on what you're prototyping. In web dev I see what you mean.

But in game dev I'm often prototyping something to see if it works at all, or to check its performance. Ignoring types is faster when spending 1-2 hours/days quickly hammering out something that just barely works. On version 2 or 3, add typings.

Maybe it also depends on the timeframe of the prototyping project. After a few days it can become tech debt. (Though I still suspect there are some long term advantages to untyped.)