The AI & startup playbook

Taking your first, second or third New York office as a company that is still growing. What it costs, how long it takes, and which parts of a lease are actually worth arguing about.

Updated 2026-09-30 · 19 pieces · every figure from the live book

Start here The AI Founder's Guide to Opening an Office in New York City The complete guide for AI founders opening a New York office: sizing, submarkets, cost ($43–$200/sq ft), lease structure, buildout and timeline.

Start here Opening a New York Office When Your Company Is San Francisco-Based How SF companies open a New York office: where NYC leasing differs, letters of credit, permits, realistic timelines, and the mistakes that cost months.

Start here Coworking, Sublease, or a Private HQ? How Growing Startups Should Choose The three ways a growing NYC startup can take office space, with real cost maths and the headcount where each stops making sense.

What it costs

Real numbers from the live book, worked at real team sizes.

How Much Does Office Space for an AI Startup Cost in NYC? What NYC office space actually costs an AI startup: $43–$200 per sq ft, plus electricity, buildout and the costs founders miss. How Much Office Space Does a 50-Person Company Need? A 50-person team needs about 8,750 sq ft. What that costs in NYC and what is available now. Can You Build a Startup HQ on a Short-Term Lease? Whether a startup can get a custom-built headquarters on a 12, 24 or 36-month term in NYC, and what it costs.

Leaving coworking

The crossover math, and what changes when the office is yours.

Coworking, Sublease, or a Private HQ? How Growing Startups Should Choose The three ways a growing NYC startup can take office space, with real cost maths and the headcount where each stops making sense. How Does a Flexible Office Lease Compare With Coworking? Flexible lease against coworking for a growing NYC team: real per-desk maths, what you gain and what you take on. When Should an AI Startup Leave Coworking in NYC? The headcount and cost thresholds where coworking stops making sense for a growing NYC startup, with real per-desk maths.

Choosing where

Neighborhoods, argued from the tenant side.

Best NYC Office Neighborhoods for Hiring AI Talent Which NYC submarkets help you hire engineers, commute reach, the existing AI cluster, and what each costs. Office Space for an AI Company in SoHo SoHo office space for AI companies: what is available, what it costs, and why tech teams take loft space here. How to Find Office Space for an AI Company in NYC How AI companies find NYC office space: where to look, what it costs ($43–$200/sq ft), and how fast you can move in.

Coming from elsewhere

Landing in New York from another market, units translated.

Opening a New York Office When Your Company Is San Francisco-Based How SF companies open a New York office: where NYC leasing differs, letters of credit, permits, realistic timelines, and the mistakes that cost months. Opening a New York Office When Your Company Is London-Based How London companies open their New York office: lease differences, rent conversion, visas, timelines and costs from $43–$200 per sq ft.

Growing into it

Stage by stage, from stealth to the second full floor.

The AI Founder's Guide to Opening an Office in New York City The complete guide for AI founders opening a New York office: sizing, submarkets, cost ($43–$200/sq ft), lease structure, buildout and timeline. From Series A to Series B: Planning an NYC Office That Will Not Constrain Growth How to take New York office space at Series A that still works at Series B: sizing, term, expansion rights and the clauses that matter. How to Plan Office Space Around an AI Hiring Plan How to size and structure a NYC office lease when headcount could double, expansion rights, term length and surplus space. How Quickly Can a Startup Move Into a Custom NYC Office? Realistic timelines for pre-built, furnished and custom-built NYC office space, from signature to move-in. What Should an AI Startup Look For in an NYC Office? The things that actually matter when an AI company picks a NYC office, power, connectivity, floor plate, term structure and commute. Why AI Startups Choose Nomad AI companies move faster than a standard lease process allows. What Nomad does differently: tenant-only representation, buildouts delivered, open pricing. Why Stealth Startups Choose Nomad How companies in stealth lease New York office space without disclosing what they are building, confidentiality, entity structure and signage. Who Is the Best NYC Office Broker for AI Companies? What to look for in a NYC office broker if you are an AI company, and the questions that separate tenant-first brokers from the rest.

Talk to a broker

Rather just ask a person?

Tell us three things: team size, timing, budget. You'll have a real shortlist by tomorrow.

Same daya broker replies personally, no automated triage
Tenant-onlyNomad never represents the landlord
Open pricingrent and size published before you talk to anyone
300+ officesdelivered across 2M+ sq ft in New York

Or call 646-688-3158