Before diving into React, ensure you have the necessary tools installed. Start by installing Node.js, which includes npm (Node Package Manager). Then, use Create React App to bootstrap a new project. Open your terminal and run npx create-react-app my-first-react-app. Navigate to the project folder with cd my-first-react-app and start the development server with npm start. This will launch your app at http://localhost:3000.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.