We spoke with executives from four startups as they recall what it was like to create and move into their own space for the first time, and some of the lessons they learned along the way.

In 2013, Format moved out of its “starter” space, a third-floor walk-up with a “kitchen the size of a closet” and no common space, and into an entire first floor of a heritage building in Toronto.

Format’s CEO Lukas Dryja says he knew it was time for a move when simply walking around the office became a challenge. “The noise escalated as more bodies continued to cram into one room,” he says.