If you're starting out (read: don't yet know what you're doing) then optimize for not getting injured. If you haven't done any weight lifting then you'll get results even if you start out slowly.
Optimize for likelihood of you not quitting. If you manage to stick to whatever plan you make you can always make adjustments where necessary. Risk of quitting is the #1 bottleneck.
Personally, I think you shouldn't look for supplements until you feel you're reached a ceiling with regular workouts. Starting with a strict diet (measure everything) is a good idea if you're serious about this.
Upvoted, but I disagree with the last sentence. Measuring everything doesn't fit too well with point #2, unless you have an obsessive personality, so adjust accordingly.
I'm looking for resources on effective weight training for the purpose of physique building. It's an area with a particularly poor signal to noise ratio so I would value pointers from other rationalists. The kinds of questions I would like to answer are:
Edit: I'm vegetarian, and I now realise this is rather important to answers to point three. So far the only supplement I've been taking is soy protein.