5 Ways Comedy is Like Programming

If the subject of my work comes up, I usually explain I'm a comedian and a technical writer. Because I live in Los Angeles, people are often more excited to hear about the technical writing. When I explain that I recently started learning how to code, a common response is something like "Wow, comedy and programming are so different, that must be hard to switch between the two."

As it turns out, the two are not that dissimilar. Here's some things that make them alike:

1. Programming and comedy are both art forms. To code well, you need to be creative. There are lots of ways to write a sentence in code, some are easy to read, some are a mess. There are rules for what makes code great, but there are elements that are subjective - for example, techniques for how to label variables, what language is best to use, or the balance between readability and being concise. There's also many ways to design solutions to problems. Comedy is also an art. There are rules and formulas for creating good jokes, and then there is the subjective component - for example, audience connection, delivery, and your artistic voice.
2. Both programming and comedy involve instant feedback. If you're a programmer, your basic goal is to write code that works. If you're a comedian, your basic goal is to write jokes that get laughs. There are far more particulars to the goals for each, but generalized, a programmer and a comedian are trying to write something that works. To find out if something you wrote works, you must test it. That's where the instant feedback comes in. If your code doesn't work, you know right away (usually...except for occasions where a bug is hard to spot). If your joke doesn't work, you know right away (usually...except for those occasions where somebody privately complains and you aren't asked back).
3. Comedy and programming can be self taught. If you want to be a comedian, you write jokes and attend open mics and test your work again and again until you find consistent material. If you want to be a programmer, you set up an environment with the language you're interested in, and you practice again and again until your code begins to work regularly.
4. The reward for each is similar. We don't regularly praise one another for a job well done in day-to-day life. Sometimes, we do work and don't know if is good or not. As a comedian, when the audience laughs, that's a direct reward for your effort. With programming, when your code works, that's a direct reward for your effort.
5. Both go hand in hand with being an entrepreneur. Programmers often found start ups with the goal of creating a successful company around an app. Comedians are automatically entrepreneurs - instead of an app, the product they are selling is their brand of humor.