Reverse. That’s an interesting solution. At college, we’d get out and push while my roommate would steer and pop his clutch in.
I couldn’t push-start my car.
Normally you have to do it in second gear. Getting the engine to pop off in first or reverse is tricky...takes lots and lots of practice and a low compression engine. Having the engine over the drive wheels helps too. It just might be that a VW beetle is the only car that it can be done with.
BTW, people die from going in reverse with one foot out the door. If the car is small enough, the front wheel will run over your foot when your leg is fully extended...it pulls you out of the car and under the wheel. At least on a front wheel drive it does.