Cult.fit co-founder Rishabh Telang has opened up about the role his wife, Astha, played in his transition from a stable job to entrepreneurship, describing the career leap as a decision whose uncertainty was shared by both of them.
Reflecting on their journey in a LinkedIn post, Telang recalled that he and Astha got married in 2014. A year later, he left his job to begin building Cult.
Telang pointed out that when they married, Astha had signed up for life with someone who had a conventional career—not someone who was about to become a startup founder.
“Astha and I got married in 2014. A year later, I quit my job to start Cult. She married someone with a stable job. She did not sign up to be married to a founder.”
Rishabh Telang Says His Wife Took the Risk With Him
For Telang, leaving a stable job was not simply an individual career decision. He said the uncertainty associated with entrepreneurship also affected his wife.
“When I took the leap, she took it with me, because a risk one of you takes is a risk both of you carry.”
His comments highlight an often less visible part of entrepreneurship: the impact that a founder’s professional decisions can have on family life.
While startup stories frequently focus on funding, growth and business milestones, Telang’s post centred on the personal support behind that journey.
‘That First Year Was Hard’
Telang acknowledged that the early period after leaving his job was challenging.
“That first year was hard, and she backed me through all of it.”
He also credited Astha with helping him maintain a sense of perspective outside his work.
According to Telang, building a company could make it easy for a founder to define their identity almost entirely through the business. He said Astha regularly reminded him that there was more to his life than Cult.
“She also kept reminding me that I am a person outside of Cult, which is easy to forget when you’re building something.”
For Telang, that reminder appears to have been just as meaningful as the support she provided during the difficult early phase of his entrepreneurial journey.
12 Years After Their Marriage, He Remains Grateful
Telang’s post also looked beyond the early startup years.
Twelve years after their marriage, he said he remained grateful for the ways Astha continued to support him, both in major moments and in everyday life.
He gave the example of being at a HYROX start line while pursuing something he enjoys, saying that Astha remains close by during such moments.
“Twelve years on, I’m grateful she’s still supporting me in ways big and small. When I’m at a HYROX start line, or anywhere else I’m doing what I love, she’s close by.”
The reference offered a more personal dimension to his message, moving the focus away from entrepreneurship alone and towards the relationship that has accompanied his journey.
‘The Person You Choose to Share Your Life With Will Shape It’
Telang eventually connected his personal experience to a broader observation about entrepreneurship and relationships.
He argued that the person someone chooses to build a life with can have a significant influence on their professional and personal journey.
“If you’re building something, the person you choose to share your life with will shape it more than almost any business decision you make. I got very lucky with mine.”
He concluded the post with a direct message of appreciation:
“Thank you, Astha.”
LinkedIn Users React to Telang’s Personal Reflection
The post attracted responses from LinkedIn users who related to his observation about the role of partners during demanding professional journeys.
One commenter wrote that a partner can have a major influence on both someone’s personal life and career.
Another user reflected on the possibility of someday looking back on a shared journey with their own spouse, while another described Telang’s post as an unusually candid reflection on life and entrepreneurship.
One response highlighted that building a company is not only about celebrating successful milestones, but also about supporting each other through the uncertain periods in between.
A Different Side of the Startup Journey
Telang’s post offers a perspective that is often less prominent in conventional startup narratives.
Entrepreneurship is typically discussed through the lens of products, investment, growth and business milestones. Telang’s reflection instead focused on the personal side of taking that leap—particularly what happens when a founder’s career decision also becomes a shared family experience.
For him, the journey from a stable job to building Cult was not one he experienced alone.
His message to Astha was ultimately straightforward: the support behind a founder’s journey can come from someone whose role may never appear on a startup’s pitch deck, but who experiences the uncertainty alongside them.
