Steps

• install ubuntu 20.04 with safe ssh access,a firewall and monitoring for problems
• install the polkadot binary via the parity repository, tweak the default systemctl setup with the right command line options, like validator name, ports, default directory, etc.
• wait for the database to sync or optionally download an up to date database to speed up the process.
• fire up your node and check it on https://telemetry.polkadot.io/ (tip: start typing the name and it will select your node), here you can also see the sync state.
• When you are comfortable with your setup and al is stable setup your accounts and connect them (via a session key) to your validator.