What is the best way to begin learning Mandarin?

Asking both second language learners and native Mandarin Chinese speakers, do you think Pinyin is a good place to start learning Chinese?

For non natives: Did you start with pinyin or did you start with Chinese characters? Would you advise learning to read/write/speak at the same time, or would you advise working on speaking and listening before reading and writing?

For Natives: Will Pinyin be useful in China, or will Is it not commonly used?