The mass scale catalytic transformation of carbon dioxide (CO2) into reduced forms of carbon is an imperative to address the ever-increasing anthropogenic emission. Understanding the mechanistic routes leading to the multi-electron-proton conversion of CO2 provides handles for chemists to overcome the kinetically and thermodynamically hard challenges and further optimize these processes. Through extensive electrochemical investigations, Prof. J-M. Savéant and coworkers have made accessible to chemists invaluable electro-analytical tools to address and position the electrocatalytic performance of molecular catalysts grounded on a theoretical basis. Furthermore, he has bequeathed lessons to future generations on ways to improve the catalytic activity and on the electrocatalytic zone we must target. As a tribute to his accomplishments, we recall here a few aspects on the tuning of iron porphyrin catalysts by playing on electronic effects, proton delivery, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions and its implications to other catalytic systems.