Coteries are intended to start with 2 Influence but it's been brought to our attention that in the course of dickering over how much influence we wanted to begin the game with (0? 2? 4?) We neglected to give any guidance at all.
Following in the footsteps of Blades in the Dark, starting with 2 is the generally accepted sweet spot, but you might want to start with 4. Or begin the game owing favors in exchange for status. Or accept that the odds are stacked against you and begin with 0.