Ómar Thor Ómarsson 🇮🇸
- 2025
- Mar 18
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 10
''A-Players don't need to be managed, they just need a common goal and vision''
Ómar is the Founder of Optise - A Smart Tool That Helps Companies Understand What Is Working On Their Website, What Is Not, And What To Do About It. He has taken the challenge to answer our 20 Truth Questions, For us to gain some insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture.
My TRUTH Story:
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON TO A CROWD OF 10,000+ PEOPLE?
CEO & Co-founder of Optise; Ómar is originally from Reykjavík, Iceland, where he bring over 15 years of experience leading global B2B and B2C sales and marketing across diverse industries.
His expertise is in bridging strategy, execution, and technology to drive sustainable growth. Previously, as Chief Growth Officer at Digido, He successfully led growth strategies for over 100 B2B companies.
Prior to that, He spent over eight years at Meniga, ultimately serving as VP of Marketing, where he played a key role in expanding their global footprint.
He's passionate about replacing clunky dashboards and data overload with clear, actionable insights, enabling marketing, development, and leadership teams to quickly identify what's working, what's broken, and what to address next.
2. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A TRUTH FOUNDER?
To me, a Truth Founder is someone who never shies away from the harsh truth and reality, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.
That might mean admitting the product isn’t a fit, listening to hard feedback from your team, or hearing things from customers that hurt your ego.
It’s not about protecting feelings or playing it safe. It’s about being honest enough to see clearly and act quickly.
The truth doesn’t always win you friends, but it builds better teams, better products, and ultimately a better company.
3. WHAT EVENT OR EVENTS HAPPENED TO YOU THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FOUNDER?
I've always had this deep need to create.
I’ve always felt pulled toward building things from scratch, solving problems, and making something better than what was there before.
I'm actually an engineer and thought I would be building bridges but ended up building a company. Which for me, is more fun. What really pushed me to become a founder was the realization that I wanted to build the whole thing, not just contribute to someone else’s vision.
I wanted to create the product, shape the culture, and rally a team around solving a real problem that helps people and businesses grow. That mix of creativity, impact, and ownership is what drives me every day.
4. WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE & RITUAL? I usually wake up pretty early. First thing I do is turn on some music, it sets the tone for my day. I've been listening a lot to Bob Dylan and Kid Francescoli lately.
Then I jump in the shower and stretch out a bit to wake up both my body and my mind. After that, I make this wild smoothie packed with superfoods. Honestly, it tastes terrible, but it makes me feel amazing.
Once I’m fueled up, I head to the office. I like to start the day by sharing something useful on LinkedIn, a thought, an insight, or something interesting I’ve come across. It helps me process what I’m learning and stay connected to the community.
5. WHAT MANTRA,QUOTE,LINE OR PHRASE DO YOU SAY OFTEN TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF? The cosmos rewards hard work in a mysterious way.
It reminds me that effort compounds, even when the results aren’t immediate. Don’t ever let whatever people think stop you.
Whenever I'm reluctant to do something I think will benefit me or the company, I think what is the reason? If the answer is in any way a voice in my head that says "what will people think". I delete that thought and do that thing.
Amor Fati: Love your fate. Embrace everything. The good, the bad, the ugly. Essentially, don't worry too much.
6. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT YOUR VENTURE? People should care about Optise because most B2B websites are terrible at driving growth, and traditional tools just dump data without telling you what to do.
Online sales are already huge and are growing fast. Over 80 percent of B2B buyers prefer to buy through a company’s website instead of talking to sales. That means your website is your most important sales channel and Optise helps you treat it that way.
Most companies want to get to product led growth (PLG) where people go the their website and buy directly, without talking to sales. That experience is incredibly difficult to achieve.
Many things need to come together. We give you clear, actionable insights so you know what is working, what is broken, and what to fix next. No fluff. Just real answers that move the needle. This makes it easy for anyone responsible for a website to understand it, optimise it and make it the number one salesperson in the company.
7. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONE TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A SUCCESS?
I’ve been in this industry for over 15 years, and I’ve felt the pain of trying to optimize a website without the right tools. I’ve lived it as a CMO, seen it over and over as a consultant, and I know the problem, the audience, and the solution better than anyone.
What makes me the one to build this is not just experience, it’s obsession. I’m incredibly detail-oriented, relentless, and I genuinely love building products and working with my team. This doesn’t feel like work to me.
Find a job that you love and you won't work another day in your life.
8. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR VENTURE? ( START WITH: IMAGINE A WORLD... WHAT IF... WE WILL BE... )
IMAGINE A WORLD where every B2B company treats their website like their most valuable sales rep, not just a brochure, but a real engine for growth.
WHAT IF teams didn’t waste hours digging through dashboards or arguing over metrics, but instead had instant clarity on what to fix, what to improve, and what’s actually working?
WE WILL BE the platform that makes that a reality. The go-to tool B2B companies trust to turn their websites into high-performing, revenue-driving machines, without needing an army of analysts or expensive consultants.
That’s success for us. Simple, powerful and transformative.
9. ANSWER THESE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE - I BELIEVE... I DON'T BELIEVE... I believe current website analytics tools are too complicated, clunky, and irritating. They create more questions than answers.
I believe clear, actionable insight should be the norm, not hidden under charts and jargon.
I believe the best teams are built on trust, ownership, and honest feedback. A-Players don't need to be managed, they just need a common goal and vision.
I believe in solving real problems for people.
I believe the website has been kind of forgotten in the digital world, but I believe it will continue to be the number one sales channel for all companies in the coming years.
I don’t believe in perfecting a product forever, get it into the hands of people and learn fast.
I don’t believe great companies are built by playing it safe.
I don’t believe pineapple belongs on pizza. Some lines just shouldn’t be crossed.
10. WHAT'S ONE DECISION YOU MADE AS A FOUNDER THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR JOURNEY? One of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make as a founder was realizing that my first CTO wasn’t the right fit. There wasn’t anything dramatic, it just didn’t feel right. We weren’t aligned on the pace, the vision, or how we wanted to build. It was one of those situations where everything looks fine on paper, but your gut keeps saying otherwise.
Eventually, I had to face it. I sat down and had the hard conversation. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. After that, I posted a simple message on LinkedIn asking if anyone knew a CTO who might want to join me on a crazy adventure. That’s when Vignir, my current CTO, raised his hand. He got the vision immediately. The energy clicked. It felt right from the first conversation.
Since then, he’s been all in, and bringing him on was hands down one of the best decisions I’ve made. It taught me that hard choices lead to the right people.
11. WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS PERSONALLY & AS A FOUNDER? Personally and as a founder, my greatest success is convincing incredibly talented, experienced, and smart people to join me on this journey.
These are people who could work anywhere, and they chose to build this with me. That kind of belief and trust means everything. It reminds me that the vision is real, the problem is worth solving, and we’re building something that matters. No metric or milestone beats that.
12. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY? What I like most about myself is that I’ve trained the courage to question everything, tune out outside voices, and trust my judgment to work on what I believe in.
It took incredible work and time, but learning to follow what I truly believe has made all the difference in how I lead, what I build, and who I build it with.
13. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU CAN IMPROVE ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT BY NOW?
One thing I’m still working on is letting go of perfectionism.
I wish I could get products into people’s hands even earlier, but I always feel tempted to polish one more thing or make it just a little better. The hardest part about building is putting something out into the world before it feels ready. But I know that’s where real learning happens, and I’m getting better at embracing that discomfort. It’s a lifelong journey.
14. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED OR GIVEN, OR BOTH?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received came from my dad. He always said, “If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
That line has been burned into my brain since I was a kid. It shaped how I approach everything, whether it’s a product, a meeting, or even a quick task. If I’m going to do it, I want to do it well, with intention and respect for the time I have. It’s simple, but it’s stayed with me my whole life.
15. ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 - 10 BEING THE BEST. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TRUTH STORY IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY? ( WHY NOT 10? ) Anyone who has ever worked on a website knows the pain. Tools like Google Analytics give you a headache. But they also understand how important it is to have a high-performing website, especially with online sales growing faster than ever. I also think it depends on who is reading.
People see things through very different lenses. That is why I obsess over customer research, to understand my audience fully. When you are speaking to a mix of people, it is hard to land perfectly for everyone.
But I think 9 out of 10 will get where I am coming from.
16. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?
My hero is Steve Jobs. I admire his relentlessness, the way he never gave up or settled. He was not afraid to tell hard truths, even when they made people uncomfortable. His obsession with simplicity and perfection reshaped entire industries.
I also admire his ability to connect art with technology, and how deeply he believed in building products that people would not just use but love. Most of all, I respect his belief in designing for the customer first, even if that meant ignoring what people said they wanted.
He understood that sometimes people do not know what they want until they see it.
17. DESCRIBE YOUR VENTURE - ELEVATOR PITCH STYLE?
Every company has a website. Every website has a goal. Yet most websites seriously underperform.
Optise fixes that. It is a smart tool that helps companies understand what is working on their website, what is not, and what to do about it.
No confusing dashboards, just clear and simple recommendations that help your site perform better.
We help you take action, work with your team, and track what makes a difference. It's the one stop show for you website.
18. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT OR MESSAGE + MARKET FIT FOR YOUR VENTURE?
We freakin’ love great websites. Our mission is to help companies deliver website experiences that people love and drive revenue for business.
19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AFTER A LONG WORK DAY?
I live down by the ocean, and my favorite way to unwind after a long day is to go for a swim.
I live in Iceland, so the water is pretty darn cold, which is perfect. The ocean clears my head. It washes away stress, helps me reset, and somehow gives me both peace and energy.
It is where I find my calm and often where my best ideas come from.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU TREATED YOURSELF TO AND WHAT DID YOU CELEBRATE? When we launched our new free trial last week, I treated myself to an afternoon swim in the ocean and then grilled the biggest cheeseburger I have ever made. Cold water and a massive burger, that is how I celebrate.
BONUS QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR AMBITIOUS JOURNEY?
Thank You for being part of this crazy journey.
One day, I will invite you to swim with me in the icy ocean , and if you survive, I will reward you with a colossal cheeseburger stacked with caramelized onions.
Become Our Next Truth Founder Today: - FREE To Submit & Be Published
Audience and Reach:
Reach: 17,000+ Subscribers & growing.
Co-Found Events: 250 - 300 People.
Audience: Entrepreneurs, Creators, Early Adopters.
Job Titles: Founder, CEO, and Business Owner.
Average e-mail open rate: 55%
GREAT NEWS: You Don't Have To Do It Alone. - This Is Your invitation for us to answer your Truth Questions Together.
Request Your Invitation: HERE
Get The Latest Founder Interviews Direct To Your Inbox!
Join Over 17,000+ Subscribers To Our Truth Founders Newsletter, Where we send you Founder interviews Direct To Your Inbox; For you to get insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture from 20 Truth Questions Founders answer, For the chance to have their profiles and stories published on our site & newsletter.
MY CONTENT:
