Step 1: Learn to DM Step 2: Ask literally every person you meet to play

After 5-10 years you'll have 2 people with waning interest and little time to play at a table.

Just go to your friendly local game shop (which has a play area) on DnD night, if they have none talk to the owner and get it going. I'd almost always had a full table when I did so. The hard part is showing up.

Option 1: Take the plunge as a DM, announce before hand that you're new at this. Everyone who thinks they can do better is free to give it a try.

Option 2: Local Game Store.

Option 3: reddit /r/lfg. Google how to turn a search into an RSS stream, set up a search, be ready to jump into worthwhile-seeming posts quickly. Be ready to go through a few bad/mediocre groups until you find something that clicks.

Au contraire mon ami. Perfect strangers are easier to cut off. Id suggest to play online. Heh, if you want a guinnea pig if our schedules align I could be one player that is fine with helping a player join us on the other side.

One of us, one of us, one of us.

I can even teach you a few tricks with roll20 for example.

Hit me up if youre interested. Im not kidding, I am willing to help as long as we find the time to do so. I am a DM and a player

If you want dm here is two tips. 1. Be honest that you lack experience. There is few dm compare to how many players there is that wants to play. That there is tons of understanding and patience as they are just happy to finally play.

If you really unsure try find dms that wants to play. They often know how “difficult” it is in the start out and often really starved on being a player and dying to play.

Go for one shots like The Lost Mine of Phandelver. Great prewritten adventure that takes like 4 sessions(you could go like one part if you really unsure). If it is awful then you never have to see them after that.

If it went okay you can do same one again and this time it will go much better.

If you loved it and you group you can often continue. If you absolutely hated it then you never have to dm again but now you know that.

Go to game stores and ask the staff. Go to conventions. Google for professional DM's. Sign up on roll20 and look for open games. Have some kids and start running games for them. (This one's more work.)

By being active in some community For example people got interested in role-playing games in the Ravenclaw community run discord for Hogwarts legacy when people asked about role-playing games There are also d&d and pathfinder youtube channels which have discords where you could ask for players

Sadly it takes a bit more effort than the days where people joined after school stuff for this stuff

My girlfriend signed us up for a local dnd club

Everyone is terrible at first, as long as you set expectations and you have a mature group I don't think your lack of experience will be a problem. Once you have done it a handful of times you'll get the hang of it and find a style that works for you.

One shots are a great way to try it out without promising yourself to an extended campaign.

I've always had success at tabletop roleplay forums, local games stores or Facebook groups etc.

As a DM I've been consistently been finding engaged and reliable players in the few places I lived during the last 15 years.

It's not hard but I give myself permession to not allow players into the group that I don't think fit. That way you will normally end up with a decent bunch of people. And make some friends too on top of a dnd group.

Got some tips for you

0 - Don't expect to get an awesome group on the first try, may take a while as you gather up people you want to play with.

1 - Look for communities, especially if they run shorter or west marches style games. Not necessarily join with the intent to run games, but play. Get to know folks and then extend invites to them for game.

2 - Run a few shorter games of limited length. 3-5 session long I find to be awesome to get something done. Some may be awful but you only have to stand them for a few games.

3 - Questionnaire where you discreetly bring up your red flags and feel the waters around them. For example I always mention that safety tools will be used and if they want a specific tool used I'll happily do that for them. If I get replies they don't need safety tools or disparage them in some way that would for me be a red flag.

4 - Don't be afraid to disband groups or kick out folks. It is not a failure.

I've never played D&D ever but the only draw for me would be being a DM. maybe I just don't know enough about it.

And of these 8 players only 3 show up consistently.

Thats why you talk to more experienced DMs, before you start DMing.