There were a couple periods in my life — none of them in the last few decades — when I spent a goodly amount of time hanging around comedy clubs in Los Angeles, mainly The Improv and The Comedy Store. I had friends performing, some of whom I wrote for. Though I had zero desire to do it myself, I liked watching and studying the craft and there were some pleasant evenings when a bunch of comics would go out together after their performances and I was invited to be part of a group. Usually, we went to either Canter's Delicatessen on Fairfax or Carney's Hot Dog Stand on Sunset. Listening to those guys talk about their business taught me a little about my own.
One comedian I saw a lot at those two clubs was a pretty funny guy named Ritch Shydner. He was also one of the saner comedians around…which at the time was kinda like being the most dignified of the Three Stooges. But when he talked about the art of being funny and the skill of managing a career — two very different abilities, he usually made a lot of sense.
I hadn't seen him around for a while but I recently came across him on Instagram where he posts a lot of short videos reminiscing about past gigs, people he knew in the comedy world and what it takes (or took) to succeed in that world. Some of these posts are under the umbrella title of "A History of Stand Up Comedy" but they're all interesting…and quick. You might want to check them out over on the guy's Instagram page.