I know the tsconfig.json file is small, but it's a distraction to have to go look up a copy-paste example while you're starting a new project in VSCode. And that makes the screencast not as cool :)

npm and other javascripty tools have an init command which creates your basic config file structure. Ideally it would contain all the default options explicitly spelled out, and including documentation inline on how to set the knobs correctly (but I know this is challenging in raw JSON)

the TypeStrong atom editor plugin generates the tsconfig.json, but I didn't find another way (at least in a couple minutes of searching, which is all an end user would do at this point)