Production sourdough query

I have been making sourdough now for about 4 weeks. I made a production sourdough using a recipe from a relatively well known book: Do/Sourdough by Andrew Whitley (Its OK)

Anyway I made a production sourdough from a rye starter and added rye flour and but it didn't rise at all. I noticed his recipe said Wheat Whole stoneground grain. So made it again and its risen. I'll add the rye flour for second finaldough.

Question is, doesn't rye flour work in the first phase...do you have to use wheat whole grain?

Thanks for any thoughts