Looking back at how I started out, it seems nothing short of a miraculous fluke now. I’d just turned 19 and was in my second year at Goldsmiths studying Psychology. I only had two or three hours of lectures a week and it was boring as hell. But instead of sitting on the sofa in front of Jeremy Kyle, I got a job flyering for a comedy club. I wasn’t a comedy geek. My mum had me watching The Marx Brothers, The Young Ones and Eddie Izzard when I was younger and I started going to gigs when I was 17. But I still didn’t know a huge amount.

That summer in Edinburgh, I flyered and sound-teched for four or five shows, taking on all the hours possible. I got ill of course, but I learnt so much. One of the shows was Robin Ince’s Book Club and Robin really took me under his wing, showing me around and introducing me to lots of people.

I ended up running a few shambolic clubs in south-east London and working for Paul Foot organising his nights. I also started laughterinoddplaces with Terry Saunders, putting on gigs in places like Elephant and Castle library. Fairly quickly, it went from a hobby to realising it was something doable beyond that. I formed the idea of running my own company about a third of the way through my final year. I don’t know ... it just felt right.

There’s a balance you’re permanently trying to find in this line of work. I enjoy the creative bit, coming up with an idea and planning it out to fruition. I tend to shy away from making deals and the money side of things, but it’s an unavoidable part of the job. You can have a rough artistic ideology you want to follow but you still have to make it work financially. Everyone has their own approach.

For anyone starting out, I’d say: do as much work as you can early on. From that understanding, you can then figure out your goals and position in the market. It’s also important to trust your own taste. When you’re booking gigs, it means there’s a consistent quality and style to the bill. That applies to who I choose to produce as well. I’d seen Ed Aczel do an early spot for Josie Long and he really intrigued me. When I approached him about working together, he was doing an Edinburgh show on the Free Fringe, Jimmy Carr had just mentioned him on The Culture Show and he had a full house every day.

I try to focus on the future rather that what I’ve already done. I’ve got ideas and plans locked away in my head for the next few years at least. Comedy is still a significant part of what I do, but I’m working with more performance poets now. Do people ever have a problem with my age? My friend Sarah, who used to run the Underbelly press office, said that when I used to come in to check on my acts, she thought I was just a flyerer who’d got above his station. But if it’s not a problem for you, it shouldn’t be for other people.

Tom was talking to Nancy Groves.

Tom Searle's shows at Edinburgh are: Edward Aczel’s Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No Matter. Try Again, Fail Again. Fail Better; Ross Sutherland’s The Three Stigmata of Pacman, Tim Clare’s Death Drive and Terry Saunders’ Six and a Half Loves. Visit Show + Tell for more information.