Hi there, and welcome back to another Insane Founder edition.

This week: CEOs are losing trust in their comms teams, Zuckerberg is rewriting Meta’s playbook, and Trump’s tariffs are sending shockwaves through corporate America. From AI power plays to shifting political alliances, here’s what’s shaping leadership decisions right now.

A new report from The Weber Shandwick Collective reveals that only 17% of CEOs feel their communication and public affairs teams are well-prepared to handle rapid changes in the economic, geopolitical, and cultural landscape. Despite communications being more critical than ever for business success, 59% of CEOs have seen no improvement in their confidence in these functions over the past three years.

Key findings:

The big picture: Corporate America is grappling with political pressures and public scrutiny, especially as new policies reshape diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and sustainability commitments. CEOs are balancing stakeholder demands while feeling unprepared for reputational risks like data breaches or workplace divisions.

Outlook: As new governments propose policies that impact businesses, there’s a growing need for communication teams to be agile. Jim O'Leary, CEO of The Weber Shandwick Collective, emphasizes that agility and resilience are essential for navigating 2025’s uncertainties.

Bottom line: With trust in communication teams dwindling, CEOs are doubling down on marketing and crisis management, while deprioritizing ESG and DEI initiatives. The next year will test whether these shifts can safeguard reputations and maintain stakeholder confidence amid rising global volatility.

If slow QA processes bottleneck your software engineering team and you’re releasing slower because of it — you need QA Wolf. Their AI-native approach gets your team to 80% automated end-to-end test coverage in 4 months and helps them ship 5x faster by reducing QA cycles from hours to minutes.

Schedule a demo

Less than a month ago, we covered Zuck 2.0—the version of Mark Zuckerberg who transformed from hoodie-wearing tech founder to a jiu-jitsu-trained, gold-chain-wearing CEO. That shift was all about personal reinvention. Now, Zuck 3.0 is here, and this time, it’s not just about image—it’s a full-scale strategic pivot.

The shift: From efficiency to political realignment

Meta’s 2025 playbook signals a sharp turn:

Zuckerberg has framed this shift as part of a broader ideological shift in corporate culture. In a Joe Rogan Experience interview, he spoke about “masculine energy” in leadership, signaling a shift toward a more assertive, politically attuned Meta.

The Musk effect—and the Texas move

Meta is now considering moving its legal incorporation from Delaware to Texas—just as Musk did with Tesla. The two CEOs, once cage-fight rivals, are increasingly in sync: absolute control over their companies, billion-dollar AI bets, and an "anti-woke" corporate stance.

The AI power play

Under Zuck 3.0, Meta is going all-in on AI:

This isn’t just tech strategy—it’s business psychology. In times of uncertainty, perceived control is key, and Zuckerberg is repositioning Meta to dominate AI, reshape corporate norms, and stay aligned with shifting political forces.

What’s next?

If Zuck 2.0 was about rebranding, Zuck 3.0 is about rebuilding power. And in 2025, that means controlling AI, rewriting workplace culture, and staying ahead of political shifts. Whether it’s a masterstroke or a long-term risk, one thing is clear: Zuckerberg isn’t just adapting—he’s shaping the next era.

Trump’s latest round of tariffs—10% on China, 25% on all imports from Canada and Mexico, plus a 10% levy on Canadian energy—has corporate leaders sounding the alarm. While there’s mixed sentiment on his tax and regulatory policies, tariffs are a hard no across the board.

Why? Because they’re effectively taxes on American consumers and businesses, disrupting supply chains refined over decades. “One-third of critical U.S. manufacturing inputs now come from Canada or Mexico,” says Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. Even the UAW’s Shawn Fain, usually aligned with pro-labor policies, warns that auto workers shouldn’t be used as “pawns” in a fight over immigration.

Retaliation is already brewing—Ontario has pulled U.S. alcohol from store shelves, and more countermeasures are expected. One Canadian CEO put it bluntly: “Short of moving production south, there’s nothing we can do.”

Bottom line? No winners—just higher costs, economic slowdown, and fractured trade relationships.