Usually I'll start it up, push the pedal in, and slowly run through the gears before I put it in reverse to back out of my driveway. It's something I took with me from growing up in Wisconsin.

I've also noticed that the engagement point is pretty far down in the clutch pedal travel, so initially sometimes my hand was quicker than my foot and I felt some resistance from the shifter. It'll smooth out, both the shifter and your driving style, the more you get adjusted to it.