I start seeds by dropping directly in 50/50 HF/FFOF. No soaking or paper towel. Straight tap water, no ph, no nutes, etc. Never had any issues. Plant babies are like human babies. Even the prettiest can start out ugly af. Let her grow up a bit more.
I am posting a disclaimer first cause this is something I vaguely remember reading about
I believe you can put seeds in a small container with a bit of clean sand (hobby store) and shake gently for a minute to scratch the outer casing of the shell, making it easier for the taproot to crack it...