When creating an image profile from scratch, you will have to identify the software packages you need to be part of the image. This means that, unlike customizing an existing image, you will create a new one with only what you need, so that you don't have to go through the process of removing software packages from an image profile.
Tip
Pay careful attention to dependencies and acceptance levels when you create an image profile from scratch.
Read the recipes Downloading an ESXi offline bundle, Creating an image profile by cloning a predefined image profile, and Adding a VIB (software package) to an image profile as a preparation before you start learning how create an image from scratch.