I've been inpired by MochaJews stories to try out a hard tribe again--it didn't go well at all last time I tried. I've started tribes on easy & med. 2 ways, both have advantages.
1. Put everyone on fishing til they can't fish anymore, then all on researching til they can get an alternate food source. (being careful with wording here) This gives the maximum amt. of food, so it might last til they can get food again.
2. Put 2 ppl on fishing, 1 on research, & when the 4th turns 14, put them on fishing. That way gives a headstart on getting the 2nd food source.
(BTW, I "cheat" & always start a village with a runner)
Whoever has gotten a hard tribe up to the 3rd level food research, what strategy have you used for startup?

yeah, i "cheat" too, btw my suggestion is :

Nurse them yourself until they get to the adept level of their job

Good advice, they're way to slow.
But what jobs do you all choose for the 1st 3 workers, & the 4th?

I do your 1st manner:
"1. Put everyone on fishing til they can't fish anymore, then all on researching til they can get an alternate food source."
Then every one one buiding!
I always start the game in 2x speed until the 5th villager is 14 years old (it takes around 2 hours) and then I switch my game in 1/2 speed! so I have 5 working adults and 2 kids for mushrooms and collectibles!

In the early days, when I can't leave the village on its own anyhow, I put everyone on research, and I collect mushies and collectables like crazy. I keep it that way until I hit the first tech level, which really isn't long. Sometimes I keep playing that way until I hit another level in med and engineering, then I move everyone to building the dam. Other times I do engineering first, and put one or two on it, and leave two on research. Either way, my kids usually keep me in enoguh food until I can get the garden going.

I know this is an old topic but I have been trying out the hard setting and it just seems too hard. You don't get enough food to hold them until you can get the next tech. And I have a hard time trying to decide which tech to get when.

I put one on building, one on fishing and all the rest on research. I use the children for collecting. I spend the first 24hours on the game to make it work. Not good, I know, but i'm addicted to it.