Was going to add my vote for the RAM upgrade, but you did it anyway.
On a 14-inch MacBook Pro, an Mx Max is going to decrease battery life and probably be overkill for anyone that wouldn't be better off with a 16-inch MacBook Pro anyway. The added cores on an M2 Pro aren't bad; but I'd imagine the real-world difference won't be appreciable (and if it is, an M2 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro is probably already the obviously better-suited machine anyway).