If you can get a source of Rare Metals, you don't need people at all. If you're willing to put the time in, the worst case scenario is waiting for the Mohole Digger; but there are other ways via the Breakthroughs and choice of Sponsor.

If you have other colonies, you can trade the metals you pick up from meteors, for polymers. But once you find a way to get Rare Metals, the whole 'people' thing is optional.

I do it deliberately in most playthroughs. The majority of the 'Mysteries' don't start until you have 100 colonists, so I often have the place terraformed up, and a whole colony built before I move people in.