People often approach me about office space. They have some hangups and reasonable notions. 1. Long lease. They fear it. Who cares? Leases are liquid in NY or SF. You find someone else. Maybe you eat a month. I never have. Why? Good space, good location, good network. 2. Good space. You need it. Get it. It is: banks of desks in an open space with people crammed close to each other, plus small and large conf rooms and a cafe style area. 3. Cost of buildout. Divide by 60 months and pay the landlord extra per month. 4. Good location. Be somewhere people want to work and can get to easily from where they want to live. Short cut: where other startups already are. Not convenient for you? Move. Commitment, people. 5. Good network. If you are a startup founder and don’t know 10 other founders plus add one weekly, you are insane. Fix it. This network will sublet from you. 6. Don’t have any cash? Get a desk from someone who did the above. Then graduate. 7. “Don’t want to move”. A hangup. Times have changed. Moving a startup takes zero time. Just show up in the new place, have desks, chairs, internet and you are in business. Don’t stay in a crappy office. 8. “There is no startup office space in area X”. Absurd and foolish statement oft-repeated by wannabe Silicon Valley areas. Bedroom–>living room–>cafe–>cowork/desk–>sublet–>lease–>building–>campus–>chinese research park. That is the evolution of all startup real estate needs.