Search bar is your friend. Check the pinned posts in each sub forum, there's usually a good guide to help you out.
Start small, don't overwhelm yourself or overspend. You can get a smaller light for your first grow, then upgrade and use that old light as a veg lamp. Don't go cheap, just spend wisely.
I like hydro but I'm like a C+ hydro grower overall, B- if creativity counts for anything.
Soil is very forgiving and I'm starting to appreciate it. Buildasoil on YouTube has wonderful educational material with great presentation, and very little BS. He is selling a product, but he's pretty forward about building off Coots methods and providing the information for ingredients that are essentially what his brand provides so you can build your own soil.
Also, start thinking about what you want to smoke. There are many options and alot of bullshit.