How do you handle being responsible for results when you don’t control the decisions ?

I’ve been dealing with something at work that I’m still trying to figure out.

I’m in a small startup environment where I’m responsible for a lot of the technical and product side. I build things, test ideas, fix problems, automate workflows, and usually end up owning the execution.

The difficult part is that sometimes I’m expected to make something “work” or become predictable, even when the result depends heavily on things outside my control.

For example, third-party platforms, algorithms, changing rules, sales, distribution, or decisions that I don’t make myself.

I can improve the system, test different approaches, track data, and explain the risks.

But at some point, engineering can’t guarantee a business outcome.

That has created a weird situation where I sometimes feel responsible for the result without really having the authority to change the strategy behind it.

I’m curious how other people have handled this.

Have you ever been in a startup where you had a lot of responsibility but limited decision-making power?

How did you deal with it?

Did you keep trying to make the existing strategy work, push harder for a different direction, or eventually decide the situation wasn’t worth it?