Do you think it's more important for mid-career PMMs to double-down on their strengths, or shore up their weaknesses? Can you share why, and an example of how you've done so?

This is a great question and one that is definitely unique to the individual. I'd say for me, doubling down on my strengths while being aware of my weaknesses has been the move. We all have natural strengths that lead us to follow a certain path. Studying journalism and being a strong believer in words, empathy, curiosity, has allowed me to follow a certain trajectory that wouldn't have been possible if I focused on my weaknesses. However, as things evolve, certain weaknesses will essentially plateau your career. For example, I would consider myself an "expert" in PMM from an IC perspective, but knowing I wanted to break into exec leadership challenged how I delivered messages, held conviction, and said "no" versus being a people pleaser. Being self-aware of what subtleties you need to change to crack a growth curve are essential to incremental changes. TL;DR to things can be true at once: you can double down on your strengths while improving your weaknesses.

Oh, this is a great question! And honestly, the answer is both...kinda.

In my career, I've always approached it from two angles. I look at what I consider to be my strengths and look for opportunities to improve them. For example, I know I'm very good with messaging and GTM strategies, but I can still learn a lot to improve my craft. There are dozens of books, blogs, and other experts in the field that I want to chat with. For the strengths, it's about continuing to build that muscle.

For my weaknesses, I try to identify the ones that would help me in the next phase of my career, whether that's three weeks away, three months away, or three years away. What skills do I need to develop today to help me land my next role or make my life easier?? Once I know what those are (I only pick one or two), I plan how to learn about them, who to talk with, and how to get real-life, hands-on experience.