Manual Science

[mpgoodwin2]

For very early game.

TL;DR
Research in inventory, Research tree before Research Lab

Why
Reduce the number of things known "by magic". How come we know how to make a steam generator and an automated research facility before even researching assembly.

What

Introduce a game mechanic that a science bottle can be consumed from the inventory, allowing research to happen without the lab, and without electricity.
Introduce a paleolithic technology that creates a bottle from iron ore, stone and coal.
Then make the first technology be smelting, allowing ovens and iron/copper plates
Then there could be a technology line for electricity, and after that automated research
Likewise there could be a technology line for conveyers, assembly machine 1, and perhaps make the assembly machine 1 possible to power from coal
Or make it possible to power the research lab with coal too.

This way there is no need to be able to build anything before being able to research. The burner drill could come as a technology after smelting (it also currently requires a smelter). The player willl still be wanting to do automation, but more of it could be coal powered, wanting to put coal on one side of most conveyors initially. Electricity may even come at a much later stage, and if the neolithic technology is kept as a needed science, this would also facilitate consumption of some of the stone in the map.

[Selvek]

Sounds like an excellent candidate for you to build your own mod.

[Xeorm]

Will agree, sounds like a good mod option, but bad for the standard vanilla experience. Mainly as most of the initial stuff before making assembly machines doesn't involve the puzzle aspect of learning to get everything started.

The game does have to start somewhere, but starting with burner inserters is a pretty good place to start I think. That or with electricity and get rid of the burner stage altogether. Pushing it back would make things worse I think.

[JimBarracus]

You're a human/cyborg engineer who crashed on an unknown planet.

Why shouldnt you have any knowledge before you land there.
Maybe it was you mission to start a base down there, you only lost your ship.
Or maybe you were just dropped off in free play mode.
You had some preparation.

We don't know that exactly.

others think that the start is to tendious and should be cut down.

like stated before; a good mod project.