Professors and comedians have a lot in common. When I was young, a slightly older friend of mine was starting on what would be a successful career as a comedian. I realized that I learned a lot from watching his shows, especially about audience engagement, the use of personal stories, narrative, and humility in front of an audience.
| Comedian | Professor |
| It's your job | Yes | Yes |
| Live audience | Yes | Yes |
| You have a narrative you want them to follow | Yes | Yes |
| Need audience engagement | Yes | Yes |
| They're judging you | Yes | Yes |
| They're paying for it | Yes | Yes |
| They expect their money's worth | Yes | Yes |