Benchmarks for Early Game

There are too many variables to give definitive benchmarks.

The best benchmark I can offer, is grab as many systems/planets as you can hold. That said:

At the start of the game is the "Land Grab" grab as many systems as you can hold. The larger your territory the more resources you have available. However, if you expend resources to grab a system/planet and cannot hold it, those resources were wasted.

If you play "I destroy everyone not me" then you will need infrastructure to support your wars. Warp points make wonderful (just wonderful) choke points. They allow you to develop systems into civilized support for your empire.

If you play "I'm everyone's friend" then you need more resources so that they don't squash you. As system with one of your colonies cannot be colonized by another empire you share a treaty, unless it contains "allow colonization in each others system"

In this; while you are experimenting, turn AUTOSAVE ON every turn.

In the beginning I used to build colony ships until I met another race. But that bit me in the ass.
It all depends on what you are facing.
It is important to get your strategic chokepoints and be able to defend them.
It is important to build starbases to multiply your production.

So many things are important. But you should be churning out at least 5 colony ships, if possible more in the beginning of your game.
You may even decide if you want to use emergency build, to launch even more ships. But that will cripple your homeworld for 10 turns later on. So that';s a descision you have to make.
I'm not really in favor of using emergency build here. But I'm pretty sure there are people that swear by it.

~Myrath

Actually, the colony ship thing can work great. BUT it requires you send send stuff other than colonists along in the hold. Sending a single weapon platform with each will give the new colony enough firepower to hold off a small fleet (less than 5 frigates at best) If attacks on your colony ship are an issue you can give them a satellite/drone/fighter bay and well armed units to match.

as for benchmarks. The only one I really stick to is researching sensors early game. I quit after I have good enough sensors to scan an entire solar system in one turn.

I disagree to weapon platforms shipped from the start. That causes way too much delay. Best to build a WP and SAT on your first colonization turn.
Time is too important.

~Myrath

that works too.

WP? I would say time is too important to waste it building them. But fighters? Yes, they could be so useful... And I would use the emergency build from the very beginning, I swear by it!