The given question involves deciphering a code language where each word or phrase is assigned a specific numeric code. Let's solve this step-by-step.

We are given two encoded phrases:

• 'please come here' is written as '533'
• 'bring the potatoes' is written as '427'

We need to determine the code for the phrase 'an early start'.

Let's analyze the given codes:

1. Notice that both given codes have three digits: '533' and '427'. It is reasonable to assume that each digit represents one of the words in each phrase.
2. Since all three-digit codes map to their respective phrases, it appears that there is no overlapping word among the given phrases and our target phrase.
3. For the phrase 'an early start', which is different from both given phrases, we should look for a code that hasn't been used, ideally in the same three-digit format.

(a) Codes like '255' and '155' repeat digits from the codes provided, indicating they might be related or repeated. They do not follow the trend of distinct mappings evident in the original coding.

(b) Similarly, '366' involves duplications and doesn't suit the context of uniqueness in this scenario.

The only three-digit code left that hasn't been used is '144', which also maintains the distinctiveness each word should have based on the initial examples.

The logical conclusion is:

• 'an early start' could logically be represented by the distinct code '144', assuming every word maps uniquely.

Therefore, the answer is 144.