Ep 363 - The Hustle Behind Dr. Shiba

EPISODE INTRODUCTION

In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Phil Renner, co-founder and CEO of Dr. Shiba, to share how a German-born McKinsey consultant turned his love for pets into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing pet care brands. Phil breaks down how his multicultural upbringing shaped his hustle, why he bet on the Philippines’ booming e-commerce scene, and how Dr. Shiba became a go-to brand for pet parents across the region. He also talks about scaling from startup to multi-market player, the tough calls behind culture and hiring, and what it takes to build a proudly Filipino-led global brand from the ground up.

Episode Timeline: 

[00:02:18] – Phil’s Hustle: Building Dr. Shiba and Southeast Asia’s leading pet ecosystem
[00:04:24] – Early Roots: Growing up in China, Singapore, and Germany with his first pets
[00:08:40] – Cultural Exposure: Lessons from a global upbringing and adaptability
[00:13:31] – McKinsey Years: Learning structure, stakeholder management, and problem-solving
[00:23:53] – The Founder’s Itch: From consultant to entrepreneur and taking the leap
[00:32:53] – Scaling Dr. Shiba: Betting on pets, building culture, and keeping the right team
[00:41:02] – Why the Philippines: Choosing the market and building data-driven brands
[00:49:15] – Scaling the Brand: Managing supply, premium positioning, and quality control
[00:59:04] – Leading Remotely: Evolving as a global leader in a fully remote setup
[01:03:54] – What’s Next: Expanding Dr. Shiba, Prof. Bengal, and entering new markets

QUOTES
“The other thing is empowering people a lot. In a lot of Filipino companies, people are very hierarchical in the way they act. Breaking down these barriers and empowering people to take some risks—and not punishing them for mistakes—goes a long way.”– Phil Renner

CONNECT WITH PHIL:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipprenner 
Website: https://dr-shiba.com

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