Thankfully Persistence Is A Great Substitute

From Martin's memoir Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life (2007), his account of the decade-long grind from unknown performer to standup superstar. Martin describes his early career as a period of relentless persistence in the face of mediocre results: he performed in near-empty clubs for years before audiences found him funny. The line is part of his broader argument in the book that craftsmanship and endurance, not natural genius, are what ultimately produce a successful comedy career.