Why Never Say Never: The Dodo Bird and Entrepreneur Comebacks

Rose Odette
Sep 23
2 min read

Introduction: For centuries, the dodo bird was the classic case study in extinction — “dead as a dodo” became shorthand for finished, over, never coming back. But this week, Colossal Biosciences pushed the unimaginable closer to reality. They’ve cultured primordial germ cells from the Nicobar pigeon (the dodo’s closest relative) and are engineering chickens to act as surrogates. Translation: the dodo may fly again. The Dodo Bird and Entrepreneur Comebacks are not impossible.

Entrepreneurs, this is our story too. How many times have you been told your idea was “dead on arrival”? Never say never.

The Core Idea: Business is full of comebacks. Markets that looked gone forever suddenly roar back. Products everyone mocked suddenly own entire categories. Like the dodo, your “extinct” idea may only need the right timing, the right surrogate, or the right persistence to return.

💡 Five Ideals for Entrepreneurs - The Dodo Bird and Entrepreneur Comebacks

Resilience rewrites endings — what’s dead today may thrive tomorrow.
Timing is everything — the world may not have been ready before, but it could be now.
Look for hidden allies — the Nicobar pigeon wasn’t obvious, but it held the key.
Ignore absolutes — the loudest “never” is often the weakest prediction.
Innovation is cyclical — what disappears often comes back in new form.

✅ Five Actions for Entrepreneurs This Week

Dust off an old idea — revisit one you shelved; the market may have shifted.
Reframe failure — instead of “extinct,” call it “waiting for conditions.”
Scan adjacent industries — your “Nicobar pigeon” may be hiding in a different sector.
Capture comeback stories — use them to inspire your team and investors.
Stay stubbornly curious — keep asking “what if” even when others laugh.

Conclusion If scientists can rewrite the story of the dodo, you can rewrite the story of your business. Don’t accept extinction as permanent. In entrepreneurship, like in nature, life always finds a way.