Vaulted’s Playbook: When to Wait vs When to Launch in Emerging Markets

The hardest decision a founder can face isn’t always what to build—it’s when to launch it. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Omar Abou-Sayed shared how Vaulted waited a decade to bring their carbon removal technology to market, offering rare insights into the art of market timing.

The Early Signal

Omar’s first encounter with climate technology came in an unexpected way. “My first week on the job, they handed me this binder, and it was a consultant’s report on emission technologies to consider for making the Gulf of Mexico operations for BP compliant with the Kyoto protocol,” he recalls. This early exposure would later prove valuable, but the market wasn’t ready yet.

The Long Wait

When Omar first conceived Vaulted’s approach to carbon removal, the timing wasn’t right. “Unfortunately, when I had the idea originally there was no market for those carbon credits, and it took about a decade for that market to be able to emerge, for us to really pursue that business model in earnest,” he explains.

But waiting wasn’t passive—it was strategic. During this time, Omar observed three critical market signals:

1. Generational Shift “It took the baby boomers relinquishing the reins of power to generation X and to millennials, who in general grew up where climate change was not controversial,” Omar notes. This cultural shift was fundamental to market readiness.
2. Tangible Impact Climate change moved from abstract threat to concrete reality. As Omar explains, “Whether it’s because your home insurance rates are skyrocketing, or because you’re having wildfires or hurricanes or floods or rain, aberrant rain events. So it’s become very apparent to everyone that the need is now.”
3. Corporate Commitment Companies began making explicit net zero commitments, creating what Omar describes as “four thinking companies that are trying to catalyze and establish this necessary market.”

The Launch Decision

When Vaulted finally launched, they entered what Omar describes as “a club” where “all the companies know each other, the carbon credit buyers all know each other.” This intimate market structure enabled them to work closely with early adopters who could help shape the market.

Balancing Urgency and Timing

The decision to launch wasn’t just about market readiness—it was about balancing urgency with timing. As Omar notes, “We are taking a technology that has been deployed and that we helped deploy globally for the last 30 plus years.” This proven technology allowed them to meet immediate market needs while other solutions were still in development.

Future Market Evolution

Looking ahead, Omar sees the market evolving beyond its current voluntary nature. “We expect and hope that this market evolves where the economy has accepted an obligation around this type of balancing of this net and net zero,” he explains.

For B2B founders weighing market timing decisions, Vaulted’s experience offers several key insights:

1. Market readiness involves multiple factors—cultural shifts, tangible need, and buyer commitment
2. Waiting for the right moment doesn’t mean staying idle
3. When you do launch, having a mature technology can be a significant advantage

The most important lesson? As Omar puts it, “Timing does matter. You don’t control timing, but timing does matter.” The key is using the waiting period strategically, so when the market is ready, you’re ready too.

For founders building in emerging markets, this means constantly evaluating not just if your solution works, but if the market is truly ready for it. Sometimes the best strategy isn’t to launch fast—it’s to launch right.