You've spent a lot of time in the world of data and analytics. What's the advantage you see as a PMM leader by specializing in an industry or technology?

One of the pillars of PMM is knowing the buyer persona exceptionally well. While I think one can context switch to a different industry, there is something to be said for having experience in a technology or industry; it will show up in your messaging and lends credibility when you publish content. 

Many career climbers recommend being very choosy about where you work. You'll hear advice like "work at a hot/big company first because the reputation will carry you," "choose an amazing product if it's a startup so that the marketing work will be less difficult," "pick a trendy category because it's more interesting," and so forth.

While I've repeatedly worked in some categories multiple times — customer data/analytics, meeting software, e-commerce, productivity, deep tech — it's often been on accident. Someone such as a recruiter or hiring manager sees that you work in the space, they believe you'll be able to quickly ramp up at their employer, and so they recruit you. Therefore, I guess that's the main advantage: domain knowledge is an easy way to get recruited.

Personally, though, I often choose to move around in the industry based on what I think will be fun or interesting. Perhaps I used the product before (Clearbit), maybe I liked how the founder ran the business in a PLG + Sales fashion (Calendly), maybe I'd been studying the space on a personal level (location-aware mobile: Meridian), or I wanted a hard challenge (helping a small startup earn its first millions: Lytics).

In summary, there are all kinds of moves you can make that are strategic for your career but, for me, I just enjoy liking my employer.