When I take friends climbing for the first time, I start them on top-roping. That way they get used to how climbing works, without the fear of falling or having to learn how to climb down. (Down-climbing, even with extra handles, can be difficult when you've used up all of your energy getting to the top.) And they get to enjoy coming back down as a sort of victory lap.

After that, we go bouldering. There are plenty of intro and V1 problems they can do even on a first try, now that they've got a general introduction to the concepts. And I get to show off a few mid-grade problems to aspire to. (I'm only a V3-V4 climber myself.)

I prefer to boulder myself, because I can do it without any coordination. But you need somebody there to help you on your first day, and top-roping has a lot of advantages for new climbers.