Overview
From Scratch means that you begin from zero, with nothing than stock default game starter equipment (or even less if possible, depending on the game). Also with elite I wanted to trade just by using sidewinder and 1000 credits (cr). This time it was done in open play, in the mercy of all player killers etc.
In the beginning I used EDDB trading features but as all experienced traders know these are just nice helpers but not a real trading tool, it was only later when I setup the new fork of TradeDangerous and started to really make some serious credits.
This was made with my second CMDR account "Snake Man PMC", this is just for fun, like what happens... happens, I don't get mad if some player killer comes and shoots my ship to pieces, I just want to try trading out from the beginning and enjoy it one step (or hop heh) at the time. For reference my real CMDR account has a bit more experience.
CMDR's Log
2018-11-13T14:34:57Z cleared save for CMDR "Snake Man PMC" account 
2018-11-13T16:17:02Z realized I can sell pulse lasers and equip more cargo racks heh, took a few trade runs to remember that as havent played since march heh 
2018-11-13T16:51:13Z was promoted to trade rank mostly penniless.
2018-11-13T18:54:37Z traded several runs using eddb but as I have know all along it is not a real trading tool. Then I installed tradedangerous this new version by the new guys and WHOAH! my first run got me like 32,000cr in profit, oh my I am back in business! 
Man do I love TradeDangerous!
2018-11-13T20:29:43Z broke 100,000cr in cash, whee.
2018-11-13T20:37:36Z was promoted to trade rank peddler.
2018-11-13T21:28:14Z purchased adder. Name: PMC Trader 1, ID: PMC002. added some cargo racks and downgraded shields to 2E. budget now 64,183cr. coriolis.io
2018-11-13T22:15:40Z budget now 270,314cr.
2018-11-13T22:39:08Z budget now 367,573cr.
2018-11-13T23:25:25Z budget now 469,457cr.
2018-11-13T23:46:49Z purchased cobra mk3. Name: PMC Trader 2, ID: PMC003. budget now 155,438cr. coriolis.io
On my first trade run with cobra mk3 I made 212,784cr profit on the first hop, pretty nice.
2018-11-14T00:27:44Z was promoted to trade rank dealer.
2018-11-14T02:01:40Z budget now 886,427cr. was dead tired so decided to call it a night, more trading tomorrow.
2018-11-14T10:23:52Z back in elite cobra mk3 cockpit, lets trade!
2018-11-14T10:34:14Z interdiction, AI asp wanted 13t of cargo, I gave him high wake jump.
2018-11-14T11:01:04Z broke 1 million in my budget, its now 1.193m cr
2018-11-14T11:52:25Z budget now 1.771m cr. time to go buy a new trading ship, even though I hate to let cobra mk3 go
2018-11-14T12:12:00Z purchased lakon type-6, traded in cobra mk3 with 411,774cr value. Name: PMC Trader 3, ID: PMC004. coriolis.io
2018-11-14T12:42:00Z departed with my brand new shiny lakon type-6, on the docking corridor some dolphin piece of crap ran in front of me, luckily I was not speeding as in this open play test save I strictly keep under 100m/s to avoid fines and mostly those suicide sidewinders I've read about.
2018-11-14T13:24:45Z sold 104 of basic medicines for 510,328cr heh nice haul.
2018-11-14T14:55:10Z was promoted to trade rank merchant. budget now 2.484m cr.
2018-11-14T15:22:21Z after the painful sidewinder fooling around with single credits, this type-6 trading is pretty cool. budget now 2.646m cr.
2018-11-14T15:59:13Z interdiction by AI ship, he remanded 9t of cargo. on the next station my budget broke 3.024m cr.
2018-11-14T16:26:30Z arrived at LTT 9387 system to purchase 4a FSD, budget now 1.927m cr. coriolis.io
2018-11-14T17:24:29Z interdiction by AI sidewinder, demanded 5.5k cr worth of cargo, high waked to my next system, all good.
Still wondering where all the player CMDR's are, I'm constantly monitoring the local traffic and very very rarely I see a player. Todays play session so far I've greeted two commanders, both which ignored me. Didn't count how many commanders I saw today but it was mere "a few", so not sure whats going on here, am I in some remote crappy system(s) which nobody cares for or? Is every CMDR trying out v3.3 beta? No idea.
That much is for certain that open play (in the area I'm at) is perfectly fine for trading as there are no players to bother me and the few I've seen have ignored me.
2018-11-14T18:35:51Z budget now 3.193m cr.
2018-11-14T20:23:45Z budget now 4.348m cr.
2018-11-14T21:32:56Z budget now 5.294m cr.
2018-11-14T22:14:14Z was at Brib system, attempted to dock with the damaged station called dominique holdings, it was my first time to see damaged station. well I took a damage and barely escaped with my life, then docked with the rescue ship nearby.
Had a nice chat with CMDR Geomol who offered to take me in multicrew to go some thargoid hunting, but had to kindly decline as I was on mission on my own, to trade like a mad man. After he departed I saw another CMDR.
This encounter shows that yes there are CMDR's in the open, I just had a bad luck by operating in the remote areas where other CMDR's didn't happen to visit at the same time.
2018-11-14T22:32:10Z arrived at Bactondinks system, budget now 6.230m cr.
2018-11-14T23:03:31Z in Azrael system at Rafferty's Mobius station saw a CMDR Corsado with a lakon type-9. I tried to chat with him but no reply, I noticed he was novice rank and flew like a one. When he departed... he boosted into the mail slot, hit it (of course) and BOOM! lakon type-9 exploded in a fireball to many small pieces.
Aww man that was terrible to see.
Oh and budget now 7.178m cr. But still so far away from my next ship purchase budget... lets keep on trading.
I don't know why but I feel like my progress been slow today, like I have spent way too much time in the stations using TradeDangerous trying to find profitable routes. To be clear TD is the best trading tool its just ME who wanted more and More to squeeze out every credit out of a trade route loops, that took much time as I seemed never to be satisfied with a route, heh.
2018-11-14T23:27:13Z arrived at Oscabi system after interdicted in binar so had to high wake out of there, also imperial slaves are illicit cargo hehe.
2018-11-15T00:26:36Z arrived at Ingguromal system and on my way here AI ship was about to interdict me as he sent me threats in the radio comms, but I managed to jump into next system before he started interdiction.
2018-11-15T00:38:45Z at HIP 106213 system budget now 8.186m cr.
2018-11-15T00:55:19Z at Rauraci system budget now 9.023m cr.
2018-11-15T01:39:55Z arrived at Barnard's Star system and was super tired so had to call it a night. Not a bad day about 15hrs of trading