get to/reach first base

first base | American Dictionary

first base
noun[ U ]
us/ˈfɜrst ˈbeɪs/

first basenoun[U] (PLACE)

the first place a baseball player has to touch in order to score, or the position near this place played by a member of the team in the field

first basenoun[U] (STAGE)

the first successful stage in a series of actions you take to achieve a goal:
His proposal didn't get to first base with the committee.