Can we have empty space before the start of measure 1
 
Or as some call it, negative measures.

YES. This is something that would be absolutely useful, especially when dealing with the issue of videos no longer being able to be moved on the timeline (although it would come in very handy regardless).
 
Just simply having an option to move where bar 1 starts via a simple dialog box, that way audio files and video could potentially start before the composition begins would be amazing.

i remember Cubase had it when i used in years ago... it helps eliminate the 'sometimes glitch' on the opening note and is nice when you bounce your final mix to have some space in front without adding it elsewhere.

Another feature that I found highly useful in a competing product.  This is practically a necessity for me.

There have been several variations on this topic, i.e. timeline ruler offset, discussed over the years. Some people want the timeline to start from zero, a negative number or some other offset, with the option to split it into different sections. I came up with a suggestion that (I hope) covers all of the different scenarios:

Keep the existing timeline ruler as it stands, but provide the option of displaying a second ruler, one that is customizable. The user can set the start of this ruler to coinside with the start of the song and to count from 1 or 0 or whatever, according to preference. The ruler can also be divided up as required by the user to represent different sections of the song, e.g. intro, verses, choruses, bridges or whatever. Each section can be assigned a colour and a starting number which could be 1 or 0 or some offset. The sections can also be assigned a name or descriptive piece of text. When zoomed out, the different sections of the song will be obvious by the colours. When zoomed in, you can see at a glance exactly which section of the song you are in and how many bars into the section.

I am on my mobile phone so I don't have the option to vote. But Kev you are right. We have discussed this many many times. Seems like your solution could be added to the present system and I could get on board with it. So far it's the best workable suggestion yet.

+1 vote from me on this feature request.

Yup . . . I like this idea too, + another

I know that this is going to show how little I understand this issue, but why do we need this?  What difference does it make (other than when printing out the staff view) if I start on 'measure' one or on 'measure' fifteen?  If the only issue is how the staff view prints out, couldn't this be addressed by just setting a start point to be track one in staff view to adjust how it is printed?
 
Sorry for being slow, but I just don't comprehend what this would accomplish.
 
Glen

^^^
For me, adding  "lead-in" measures will help in song arrangement in the Track View.  Some of my external, hardware synthesizers need proper "lead-in" measures for their arpeggios, delays, and general timing to work right.  Therefore, in order to solve this issue, I must add one or more blank measures starting at 1:00:000.  This, in turn, disrupts the subsequent, numerical-sequence of measures which I would use to help build a song, e.g. 4 measures from 1:00:000 to 4:00:000, 8 measures from 4:00:000 to 12:000:000, etc.
 
There is a work around, and that is to build a "template" track.  In this track, I create brightly colored, "dummy" MIDI clips that are easily seen.  I make 2-bar, 4-bar, and 8-bar clips...all with different colors.  I then use these clips to keep my timing right in song creation.
 
I think the lead-in measure (i.e. negative measures) is mostly beneficial to the folks who use outboard gear.