Lessons from Rome on Scaling Teams

Recently, I delved into SPQR by Mary Beard, a book that sidesteps the usual gossip about emperors and daily life to scientifically explore the origins, development, and expansion of the Roman Empire. It also examines how people from different classes lived within its borders—their problems, aspirations, and solutions. While reading, I noticed a few key strategies that allowed Rome to expand and maintain its vast territories, even without the modern conveniences of telecommunication, unified calendars, or common languages. Surprisingly, these ancient methods offer a lot of insight for organizing and scaling modern software teams.

Expansion Through Inclusion

The growth of Rome from a small city-state to a vast empire didn’t happen overnight. Initially, Rome was just another city-state conducting raids on its neighbors. However, they soon found that rather than just looting, there was a strategic advantage in maintaining certain aspects of conquered cities. Rome began offering a deal: keep your local governance, culture, and legal systems, but pay taxes to Rome, engage in trade, and provide soldiers for the Roman army.

This decentralized approach was a win-win. Conquered cities kept much of their autonomy, while Rome could count on a reliable stream of resources and manpower. This minimal management strategy enabled rapid expansion, laying a foundation for a vast and resilient empire.

Balancing Autonomy and Oversight

As Rome’s influence grew, so did its military and administrative systems. The Romans established powerful legions and, over time, concentrated military and governmental power under a central authority. Provinces were assigned governors, who maintained local administration, and procurators, who handled taxation.

The procurator’s role was particularly interesting—he acted as Rome’s representative, ensuring loyalty and tax compliance, but otherwise, local governance was respected. This combination of oversight and local autonomy allowed the Roman Empire to function as a coherent, yet flexible, network of distinct cultures, languages, and laws.

Modern Lessons for Businesses

The lessons here for modern businesses are significant. Think of a software company looking to expand through acquisitions or build new teams. By allowing acquired companies or newly formed teams to maintain their workflows, tools, and organizational culture, companies can save on management costs and enhance flexibility.

Similar to Rome’s procurator system, having a minimal supervisory presence ensures alignment with larger company goals without stifling autonomy. Asynchronous work and goal-oriented management, inspired by Rome's structure, can transform a disparate set of teams or acquisitions into a cohesive yet adaptable organization.

Shared Vision for Success

In the end, the Romans succeeded not just through power but by creating an ecosystem where different cultures, languages, and even religions could coexist, governed loosely by Rome’s central vision. For modern teams, whether they’re fully remote, cross-functional, or newly acquired, the same principle applies: respect and autonomy within a shared vision can be the key to effective and scalable growth.