Best practices for setting up a secure enterprise network from scratch

Hi everyone – I’m planning to build a new corporate network for a mid-size company, and I want to ensure it’s secure, scalable, and future-ready. I’m looking for recommendations on how to approach network design, device selection (routers, firewalls, switches), and best practices for security (e.g. segmentation, VPN, patching, monitoring). Also interested in real-world user experiences – what worked, what didn’t, and lessons learned. Any advice, checklists, or resources would be greatly appreciated.