Interview with Svein, the founder of 90minutefamily
When 90minutefamily first appeared on Facebook, there was only one man behind it all – Svein Inge Egeland. With carefully thought-out analyses and a genuine passion for sports, he gradually built a community of people who shared the same interest in odds, statistics and good discussions.
What started as a small Facebook group with a few dozen members has since grown into one of Norway's most active communities for sports analysis. Today, 90minutefamily has over 530 members on Discord, and the website has had more than 30,000 visits in the last three months – numbers that continue to rise month by month.
In this interview, Svein talks about how it all started, what values are at the heart of it, and why the unity in the 90minutefamily means at least as much as the tips themselves.
How it all started
Yes, that time is still fresh in my memory. And there were actually several reasons that made me start. The first thing that comes to mind, and perhaps the most important, was an inherent desire to use my knowledge for something. After all, I had been betting on odds, and following football from all over the world, for 25 years, so I knew a lot about a lot of things.
In addition, I had been through all the childhood diseases in terms of odds. I had been through odds coupons with 10 matches, and I was a bit done with total odds of between 15 and 20. In addition, I had learned that odds were much more than just HUB. So there was probably a desire to use this knowledge for something sensible. Share it with someone.
But I also wanted to be a counterbalance to the cowboy culture that runs the industry. Betting and gambling are a cynical industry, and most of the tipsters out there fly high when things are going well, throwing around bomb and fist emojis, often accompanied by words like "Easy!" or "Boom!" But when things are going badly, they go underground. We don't have room for people like that here.
That's why we also created a server in Discord, so that we can be close to our followers, both when things are going well and when things are going badly. We will be responsible, and be available.
In addition, I wanted to create a community of like-minded people – a place where we could share ups and downs, assist each other when needed, and share exciting live games. And the work of creating a knowledge community is well underway. Today, so much more is shared than just odds. We have gotten to know each other, and we have become friends. And I think that is great.
Quality and credibility
There are many tips pages on Facebook, and I first discovered you when you shared games on some of them. I quickly noticed that you stood out – both in how thorough your analyses were, and how credible the tips seemed. It is something you have clearly taken with you into what is now 90minutefamily. How have you managed to maintain that quality and thoroughness as the project has grown?
Thanks. That was nice to hear. But yes, I remember starting up on Christmas Eve 2023. And when January got underway, new tips services popped up like mushrooms. But by the time January was over, most of them had disappeared. And that's where I think we get to the main reason why we're where we are today: because I had the capacity to deliver a couple of texts every day. Without exception. That way, people understood that I was serious, and that I delivered what I promised.
The credibility is probably mostly about the fact that I mostly only write about what I know something about. At 90minutefamily we believe in knowledge. Statistics are a useful tool, but it will never be enough to beat the bookmakers. In the beginning, I wrote almost exclusively about what I know best – namely the A-League.
I also try to write the analyses in a way that makes them interesting to read, regardless of whether you follow the tips or not. I am a trained teacher and am interested in language and communication, and that probably influences my texts.
But I could never have done this without the talented people I have with me. I only know football and tennis, so the breadth of our offering is due to everyone else but me. We produce everything ourselves – no AI – and even though it may be a bit old-fashioned, I believe in our method. AI and statistics will never take into account the human factors in sports. And if you don’t take them into account, you won’t win the odds.
The transition to Discord
The reason for moving to Discord was to use a tool that was better suited to what we wanted to create. Facebook has its advantages, but Messenger is not optimal for a knowledge community. In Discord, we have created separate channels for each sport we cover, where the writer acts as moderator. This way, our followers can easily choose what they want to follow.
In addition, Discord gives us the ability to run live broadcasts – something we plan to use more in the future.
Growth and motivation
My first thought when I see the development is gratitude – both to the writers and to everyone who follows us. When you spend 5–6 hours every day without getting a penny in return, then the visitor numbers are our currency.
But I also get motivated. I always want to take things a step further. The start-up has been encouraging, but it is demanding to run this on a voluntary basis. If we are going to develop further, we need money. And we don't have that.
Following the law – and the challenges it poses
It costs a lot to follow the regulations. And not just in the short term. But I probably have an excessively romantic faith in the system – that it should pay to follow the rules. At the same time, it is frustrating to see other actors break them without consequences, and at the same time make big money.
We wanted to create something sustainable, and I thought we would be attractive to advertisers if we followed the Norwegian Gambling Authority's guidelines. But it seems that odds and gambling are so taboo that even with our visitor numbers, they shun us.
What is certain is that we cannot survive without income. We cannot continue for free. So we are faced with two choices: do as the others do – or close down. Time will tell what we end up with.
A close-knit team
90minutefamily was created as a counterbalance to the bad culture in the industry. The idea was to create an environment where being kind, nice and helpful is actually a strength. I have recruited people with the same values, and I believe that if you bring good people together, unity comes naturally.
The writers
In practical terms, the writers mean everything. We get to distribute the workload, maintain production and at the same time offer games on many sports with credibility. The ones I have with me are handpicked. You have to know rally to tip about rally – and the same goes for volleyball, ice hockey, darts, baseball, Counter-Strike, and so on.
But personally it means even more. I've made friends for life. We chat every day and meet regularly online, so I actually have closer contact with these people than with many others. They mean a lot to me.
Pride and future
I could answer a lot of different things about what I'm most proud of. It's cool to have built one of Norway's largest betting communities from scratch. But what I'm most proud of are my writers. The fact that they're still here – without pay – says everything about the commitment and community we've created.
We have managed to build ownership of 90minutefamily and an internal motivation to contribute. Without my writers, 90mf would not exist today.
The way forward
The future is open, and a lot depends on the economy. If we can solve that part, there is no limit to how far we can go. There is already interest from abroad, and a merger with a similar player may be possible.
But most of all, I want us to grow at our own pace. We have exciting things going on – betting competitions, new writers, and ideas that are still on the drawing board.
We dream of developing 90minutefamily into a broad media house for sports – a place where readers get analysis, podcasts, reports and entertainment from many sports. We need more writers, especially in basketball, e-sports and other fields, and we hope to find partners who share our passion for honesty and knowledge.
Optimism reigns supreme – and as long as people visit us, talk about us and like what we do, it will take a long time before we lie down to die.
💚 Support our work
90minutefamily is run on pure passion and a spirit of volunteerism. Every analysis, every tip and every article is hand-crafted by writers who are truly passionate about sports.
If you like what we do and want to support us in our work to further develop the platform, you can do so via Vipps.
👉 Vipps number: 30570 (90minutefamily)
Thank you to everyone who contributes – both with support, engagement and good conversations in Discord. It means more than you know. 💛
