I never took lessons...couldn't afford em.
First thing I did was buy a basic sbook of songs that I knew and learned chords etc...
Then I learned barre chords and a couple of scales and started learning cover tunes.
Basically, I didn't have any formal knowledge, couldn't write music, didn't have a clue what notes I was playing... but I could do Van Halen's first album, any Rush tune and all the best "classics". (Stairway etc...)
People would tell me I was an amazing guitar player...but all I was really doing was doing an imitation of the record. I'd spend months learning a song like Stairyway until I had it down perfectly, but didn't know any of the bands other songs & if I had to come up with my own leads or ideas I was screwed.
Even now (20 years later) I can outplay most guys, but ask me how to play a BbMaJ7Dim chord or something and I don't have a clue what you're talking about.