Dynamic languages (so you can hack together stuff and quickly bypass any roadblocks), with REPLs (quick feedback and avoiding writing tests), and low cognitive

Dynamic languages (so you can hack together stuff and quickly bypass any roadblocks), with REPLs (quick feedback and avoiding writing tests), and low cognitive overhead (so new folks can ramp up quickly). Some example languages that come to mind here: Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Clojure, Groovy. Go actually comes close here, even though it doesn't have a REPL and isn't very dynamic, because of its focus on minimizing cognitive overhead and getting the job done with minimal fuss. Other languages carry a lot of community baggage. Java is one of the worst IMO...if you try to hire Java programmers, it's going to take a lot of effort and risk to find and reject applicants who've read too many design pattern books, are architecture astronauts, or come from an enterprise-y background. The signal-to-noise ratio is just really poor.