When FirstClasse first spoke to Timothy Tiah in 2017, he was in the midst of developing Colony, questioning how people worked and why ambition often came at the expense of balance. At the time, the conversation centred on rethinking work culture and creating environments that felt more human.
Today, his world looks markedly different. “This chapter feels quieter, but much more intentional,” Timothy tells us when we meet one morning at Colony @ The MET. “Earlier on, everything was about proving something – scale, growth, momentum. Now it’s more about building things that actually last and fit into my life, not consume it.”
In the years since, he’s steered Colony through growth, pandemic disruptions, and reinvention – all while sharing hard-earned insights as a content creator. He remains ambitious, but the metric has changed. “I care more about sustainability – in business, in health, in family, and in how I spend my attention,” he says. “It feels like a chapter of refinement rather than expansion at all costs.”
Building systems, not just businesses
When asked how he would describe his work today, “founder” or “creator” aren’t labels Timothy gravitates towards. He prefers to frame his role as building systems and stress-testing them in real life. “Sometimes those systems are businesses. Sometimes they’re content platforms. Sometimes they’re just ways of living and working better,” he explains.
Colony, the premium coworking and event space he co-founded in 2017 with his wife Audrey Ooi, was an early experiment in this philosophy. Its spaces, amenities, and member experience focus on how people actually work, not how conventional offices expected them to.
But Timothy didn’t stop with just one model. In 2021, his team launched Jerry, a more affordable, fully automated co-working concept targeted at cost-conscious founders and small teams. The idea was to apply lessons from Colony to a leaner format – stripping away unnecessary complexity through virtual tours, automated bookings, and reduced operational overheads.
“Good design disappears. It anticipates needs, removes decision fatigue, and supports how people actually behave.”
Rather than treating these as separate pursuits, Timothy approaches them through the same lens. “It’s less about doing more, and more about doing fewer things properly,” he asserts. Whether he’s overseeing business growth, investing time into new projects, or creating educational content, he starts with a simple question: What is this system supposed to make easier?
That thinking extends naturally into the content he shares online. On his social pages, Timothy is known for concise reflections on business realities, personal finance, work culture, and sustainability. He creates with intention, prioritising resonance over volume. “I don’t post to fill space,” he says. “I post when there’s a thought worth sharing or a pattern worth explaining.”
How design shapes performance
Beyond systems, Timothy believes performance is shaped by environment more than motivation. “Design shapes behaviour more than motivation ever will,” he says. “If a space encourages focus, flow and ease, people naturally perform better.”
For him, form should be functional. “Good design disappears,” he explains. “It anticipates needs, removes decision fatigue, and supports how people actually behave – not how they wish they behaved.” That philosophy extends beyond architecture and workflows. It shows up in the smaller systems he relies on daily – the objects that move with him from meeting rooms to site visits, from work events to family time. When no two work days look the same, versatility and adaptability have become integral to his lifestyle.
“If a structure works on a bad day, it’ll work on a good one.”
This logic has also influenced how he builds teams, structures businesses, and set expectations for himself. Early in his career, long hours and rapid decision-making were unavoidable. Now, his mornings are protected, meetings are selective, and decisions are batched rather than scattered across the day – reflecting a shift away from constant reaction.
Instead of planning for ideal conditions, he prepares for pressure. “If a structure works on a bad day, it’ll work on a good one,” he justifies.
Timothy carries that same restraint when drawing boundaries around his personal life and public presence. Amid data-driven insights on his social platforms, he occasionally shares reflections on relationships, family moments, or appreciation posts for his wife – prompting our curiosity about where he draws the line. “I share insights, not wounds,” he replies earnestly. “If something is still emotionally raw or unresolved, it stays private.”
Tools that support real life
As his responsibilities expanded, Timothy became increasingly selective about the tools he relies on daily. Reliability and longevity matter more than novelty. “I’m less interested in features and more interested in whether something does its job without demanding attention,” he says. In his view, an essential earns its place over time. “It saves time, reduces stress, or improves clarity consistently.”
This is where the latest evolution of the TUMI Alpha Brief Pack fits naturally into his routine. Crafted from TUMI’s ultra-durable FXT™ ballistic nylon, the new Alpha serves as a power companion for Timothy’s complex lifestyle – seamlessly blending in between meetings, events, and personal commitments. Its thoughtfully designed compartments reflect the kind of design he values: practical, durable, and responsive to real use.
“It felt designed for movement, not just storage,” he comments on his experience with the bag. “Everything had a reason to exist. Nothing felt overdone or gimmicky.”
The TUMI Alpha Brief Pack is crafted from ultra-durable FXT™ ballistic nylon.
The top handle is designed with a leather wrap for a premium feel.
A magnetic zip garage for the main compartment offers a neat, refined look.
It is equipped with multiple zipped compartments, pockets, and a sleek luggage tag.
A designated zip entry to a padded laptop compartment ensures easy, secure storage.
He notices the difference most when travelling. “When you’re moving between places, meetings, and roles, good design keeps you mentally calm,” he says. “You’re not digging, searching, or adjusting.” The ease of packing, organising, and accessing essentials lets him stay focused – a subtle but real performance boost for someone juggling multiple roles, both in and out of the office.
In signature TUMI fashion, Timothy’s initials, ‘TT’, are engraved on the signature monogram patch – an understated detail that reflects ownership and longevity. Plus, the AirTag pocket and comprehensive warranty ensures security and peace of mind.
Style is not compromised either. With Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris and acclaimed Chinese actor Wei Daxun starring in TUMI’s latest campaign featuring the Alpha collection, the message is clear – this is “Not Your Dad’s Alpha”. It retains its performance DNA while embracing a sleeker, more contemporary silhouette in colours that exude quiet luxury: Black, Grey, Navy, and Ultra Blue.
Designing performance for the long-term
Like many founders, Timothy has faced periods of real pressure: pandemic restrictions, economic uncertainty, and difficult strategic decisions. He’s openly spoken about Colony sustaining losses during lockdowns, before eventually returned to profitability as conditions stabilised.
He has also navigated the realities of closing underperforming venues when market dynamics shifted, while exploring adjacent businesses – such as the acquisition of Dough by Meg, a catering brand tied into event spaces and retail experiences.
Altogether, these years have sharpened his view of pace. Today, his advice to founders and creators caught in constant acceleration is measured. “Slow down long enough to ask what you’re accelerating towards,” he says. “Speed without direction isn’t ambition – it’s anxiety.”
Success to him now isn’t about rapid growth, but longevity and sustainability. “Build workflows that let you rest without everything collapsing,” he affirms, reframing the journey as a marathon, not a sprint. “If what you build costs you your life outside of it,” he adds, “it’s not success.”
For Timothy, performance boils down to putting the right design, environments, and tools in place – so work supports life, rather than demanding recovery from it. In that sense, the Alpha Brief Pack is less an accessory and more an extension of intent: resilient, considered, and built to move at the pace of modern ambition.
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Timothy carries the TUMI Alpha Brief Pack from the brand’s new Alpha collection. Explore the collection now on TUMI.my and TUMI stores worldwide.
Photography: Imran Sulaiman
Location: Colony @ The MET