from the start of some activity, process, endeavor
from its first (earliest) steps (stages)
from the outsetfrom the very beginning(in limited contexts) from the infancy (of sth.).
Всем, может быть, стало понятно ещё с самых первых шагов, что это совсем даже и не спорное дело, что тут нет сомнений, что, в сущности, никаких бы и прений не надо... (Достоевский 2). It perhaps became clear to everyone from the very outset that this was not a controversial case at all, that there were no doubts here, that essentially there was no need for any debate... (2a).