Refusing to please the crowd, Jeff returns to himself—spends the price of a Myvi to publish a book and step into writing

(Kuala Lumpur, 22nd) Malaysian YouTuber duo “Jeff & Inthira” have built a strong following through years of content creation, later expanding into business ventures and personal branding. Now, Jeff—under his real name Jeff Leong Ming Yao—is stepping into a new chapter as an author, launching his business-focused book The Attention War.

Jeff revealed that he self-funded the project with a significant investment—“almost enough to buy a Myvi.” His wife, Inthira, humorously added that during the writing process, his intense focus led to noticeable mood swings.

Explaining his decision to publish under his real name, Jeff described it as a process of redefining himself: “To become someone new, you have to let go of certain things. Right now, I’m completely rebuilding myself from scratch.” Reflecting on his journey from magician to TV host to content creator, he said each phase felt like “playing a role,” and now he aims to return to a more authentic version of himself.

He noted that many content strategies are time-sensitive and may become obsolete within a few years. “Instead of keeping them, I’d rather share them—they hold social value.” He sees the book as both a “gift to society” and a summary of his professional journey.

Jeff emphasized that The Attention War is not a motivational book. Only one chapter touches on his personal story, while the rest focuses on content, cognition, and evolving market dynamics through a business lens. He described the book as a response to dissatisfaction with the status quo and a desire to break boundaries.

At the launch event, he invited four close friends and business partners featured in the book to share their experiences. He explained that the year-long writing process was largely dedicated to compiling real-life success cases to strengthen the book’s credibility.

Discussing the title, Jeff recalled advice from his days as a magician: “When you’re on stage, you are responsible to both the audience and time.” He believes that in today’s information-saturated era, attention itself is the ultimate currency: “When you have nothing, all you have is other people’s attention.” The book also highlights trust as a long-term asset and positions personal media as a powerful business tool.

Speaking about the challenges, he admitted writing was far from easy: “When your writing isn’t strong, you realize there’s repetition—you have to keep refining.” Over the year, he continuously iterated his content and sought insights from professionals across industries.

Addressing skepticism about influencers writing books, Jeff said he expected criticism and chooses to respond with results: “If I’ve achieved all this, why can’t I write a book?” He added that the most valuable lesson from the process was patience—often the most overlooked factor in success.

During the event, Jeff publicly expressed gratitude to Inthira for her unwavering support, with the couple sharing a lighthearted moment on stage. Inthira jokingly revealed his “bad temper” during the writing phase, adding, “Actually, he’s always been like that,” drawing laughter from the audience.

As for their YouTube channel, which has been inactive for nearly a year, Jeff confirmed the hiatus was to focus on writing and personal growth. While they plan to return in a new format, he currently prefers to step back and focus on creative work. “I used to perform for the audience—now I want to be myself,” he said.

Regarding book sales, Jeff remains calm: “I feel very at peace now.” He shared that he no longer feels the need to prove himself. “People can say I’m not good enough—that’s fine. But don’t say I’m not being myself.” For him, growth and authenticity matter most: “As long as I remain true to who I am, that’s enough.”