How do you get iron in Minecraft without a stone pickaxe?

There are many ways this can be done. One way could be to find a NPC village and hope there is a blacksmith shop. Then, if there is a blacksmith shop, try to find iron ingots in the chest. Also, you could go through caves and on extreme luck, not have to mine at all and happen to find the stronghold and get a chests with iron ingots. In the end, just make a stone pick and mine iron. It's way easier.