I definitely fell in this camp. To be fair I was fairly junior and was used to JS.
It wasn't until I started using Haskell that I saw the benefits of knowing exactly what I was working with. It also helped me be more deliberate and thoughtful as you had to define everything up front.
In 2012 you were building sites and even applications with a stagnant language (JavaScript) that lacked any module/bundling support while having to support multiple browsers with differing standards. Routing, state management, dependency resolution, etc. were handled on an ad hoc basis if at all.
The current complexity is a result of addressing these issues and doing so at a rapid pace.
While people are going to focus on his impact in physics and science in general, and rightfully so, I've experienced a greater impact from his life.
I had a close friend of mine who was wheel chair bound. For him Hawking demonstrated the possibility of people accepting him for who he was and enjoying his company irrespective of any perceived differences. He wanted to interact, have friends, build relationships, and this was something that was more expected as a result of Hawking's public profile.
Ultimately he served as not just a role model, but someone who expanded awareness that those in wheelchairs were people too.
It wasn't until I started using Haskell that I saw the benefits of knowing exactly what I was working with. It also helped me be more deliberate and thoughtful as you had to define everything up front.