There is a Bootypedia topic called 'What Do' or something like that, it should give a very basic breakdown of what different starting techs are likely to give you.
If you don't want to search the tech tree, the techs do have a pretty logical progression of what they give. For recruiting purposes, if you were just starting a pirate group, or a company, what sort of sources would you look to for hiring? First is deciding that you're doing the thing, second is figuring out pay structure, then headhunting. I'm sure there are other steps IRL, but this isn't a 1:1 simulation.