Last week, we were able to introduce facts into an emotional debate. We want to be able to do that again in the future, but we need your help.

When columnist Diane Francis wrote recently about governments wasting money on “fake startups”, her column had no data to back up her assertions. What was needed was hard data to show that startups in Atlantic Canada are actually selling products to customers.

We had that information. Our response cited the2016 Entrevestor Data Analysis as saying that 56 percent of the East Coast startups surveyed in late 2016 had at least $100,000 in revenue. Some 31 percent had revenue of more than $1 million.

This illustrates why Atlantic Canadian startup CEOs should take two minutes to complete our survey. It produces data that demonstrates what is really happening in #startupeast. We’re getting a great response, but we need more people to fill in its 18 questions. You can find it here:

Remember, all the answers will be 100 percent confidential. And if you don’t feel comfortable answering some questions, just leave them blank.

Many thanks to everyone who’s filled it in so far. For all other founders and CEOs, keep ‘em coming in.