You learn timing on the road. You learn structure and how to read an audience. You learn so much about the business of laughter that you can't learn on a set, because it's all on you. Sometimes you bomb, and you know not to tell that joke again... You just hope people find the humor in the awkwardness.

This quote is about the importance of performing stand-up comedy in front of an audience. When a stand-up comedian performs in front of an audience, they learn timing by seeing how quickly their jokes get laughs. They also learn how to work with the structure of their show and how to read the reactions of the audience. On stage, the comedian is solely responsible for the show and they must adjust based on the audience’s reaction. As a result, comedians can learn important aspects of the form that they wouldn’t learn while on a set. That includes how to handle failure; when jokes don’t land, the comedian should avoid repeating them and find humor in the awkwardness of the situation.