Ways to start seeds into life

Lettuce I sow in a pot, put the pot into the fridge overnight, then bring into the warm. Never fails.
I chit any seeds big enough to handle individually, so that I only sow viable ones.
I sow all the rest in pots or modules, on the windowsill or in the cold greenhouse depending on hardiness and time of year. Except carrots.
Carrots I sow direct. I make a slit in the ground with my spade, fill it with old compost, water the compost and sow into that.