The phrase "a very first thing" is not standard in written English and may sound awkward to some readers.
It can be used informally to emphasize the importance of the first step or action in a sequence, but it is better to use more conventional phrasing.
Example: "Before we proceed, let's focus on a very first thing: establishing our goals."
Alternatives: "the very first step" or "the initial thing".
Shandling later alleged that the clearest proof that Grey was bilking him was that Grey always discouraged him from hiring a lawyer, saying, "Don't you trust me?" Grey says with a faint smile, "If I told Garry Shandling not to get a lawyer, the very first thing he would do is get a lawyer".
I would add this, contributed by a reader on a book site: The very first thing I did after finishing "The Tragedy of Arthur"… was to Google to see what was true and what wasn't…only to find that much of Phillips's traceable past has been erased.
While I don't think I'm a particularly suspicious guy, the very first thing I do when anyone recommends anything a stock, a product, a vacation destination, you name it is check it out on the Internet.
Rolling Stones Matthew Perpetua wrote "You know you're in for a great video when the very first thing you see is a disclaimer reading "No mythological creatures were harmed in the making of this video".
"The very first thing a new president does is take an oath to protect and defend the constitution," she said.
It doesn't feel unreasonable to suggest that perhaps the very first thing a person should do when faced with some nascent creation is not frantically and qualitatively assess its value.
Benchley, who makes a cameo appearance in the movie as a news reporter, remembers that the very first thing Zanuck told him when writing the script was to lose "that love story, the whole sex nonsense".
Robert Bor, an aviation psychologist, said: "The very first thing the aviation authorities and investigators will do is go through his personal background and look at his professional life, in terms of his relationships, finances, flying record and medical record.
So, sending an email was probably the very first thing I did on the Internet, but IRC had me.
Years ago when I was training to volunteer for a local domestic violence hotline, the very first thing we discussed were reasons why battered women and men "Don't just leave?" Our trainer told us there are myriad reasons, and that often people in abusive relationships stay to protect their kids, their parents or their pets -- the abuser will threaten to kill their loved ones if they leave.
