Crossword puzzle clue "start of a word ladder and the starting point of the journey"

Start of a word ladder (and the starting point of the journey)

End of the ladder (and the end point of the journey)

Proverbial starting point on the corporate ladder

Starting a project ... and what the letters between the starting and ending pairs of letters in each starred answer are doing?

Not pointed ... and the start of an eight-step word ladder

Starting point of a story where the ending point is, I guess, you're wearing riches

Start of a word ladder

Start of the word ladder