Cliques are in every scene. It's kind of a "might makes right" mentality, if you're funny you're in most of the time. There's always a contrast between hard work and talent, but you have to have both to succeed regardless. I'm more on the lazy side because I have a career that is often prohibitive to comedy hours. It's difficult to justify the time regardless of where I am, but a small scene can be amazing for improving oneself if you can find a good routine. I grew a lot in a small college town. As soon as I had to start getting up at 6am for work however, my growth stopped, while I watched some of my friends hit it big.

But in the end I just prefer measuring myself in laughs than in dollars or shows.