Comedy is the hardest job in the world, a long comedy career is a testament to intelligence, extreme customer focus, resilience, and durability. Lessons from Jerry Seinfeld.

I lived in the US for 10+ years. Seinfeld and Friends were my staple diet to unwind and laugh after a long day.

After years as a stand-up performer, Jerry Seinfeld conquered 1990s television with his sitcom.

Jerry is still drawing viewers and accolades, for his inventive online talk show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee—even as a new generation discovers Seinfeld on streaming video.

50 years in comedy is an extraordinary achievement.

Why is comedy difficult?

1.   Instant feedback: Comedians often perform in front of live audiences, and their success or failure is immediately apparent based on audience reactions. There is no filter between the performer and the audience's response.

2.   Originality: Being consistently funny and original requires IQ and EQ. Comedians need to constantly come up with fresh, innovative material to keep their audience engaged.

3.   Resilience and Durability: Need the ability to handle rejections, hecklers, and loneliness to build durability muscle over a long time.

Seinfeld’s interview with Harvard Business Review made me laugh and think at the same time once again.

HBR: How did Comedians in Cars originate?

Seinfeld: It’s very important to know what you don’t like. A big part of innovation is saying, “You know what I’m really sick of?” For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. “How are you?” “You look great.” I’m also sick of people who are really there to sell their show or product. “What am I really sick of?” is where innovation begins.

You and Larry David wrote Seinfeld together, without a traditional writers’ room, and burnout was one reason you stopped. Was there a more sustainable way to do it? Could McKinsey or someone have helped you find a better model?

Who’s McKinsey?

It’s a consulting firm.

Are they funny?

No

Then I don’t need them.
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There is only one objective – Deliver innovative products to the customer, everything else is noise.

To understand Jerry’s perspective – Let’s revisit the Apollo mission

“US should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth” – JFK

There was one clear objective, it certainly was not “along the way explore MARS, count the rings around the Saturn and if possible return back to the earth landing near McDonald's drive through”

Optimizing while solving a big mission risks failure on both fronts.

“Laugh, and Learn every day”

Note: Views are personal and photo credit: HBR

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