How large is this code base? If you guys plan out enough, a complete overhaul might be the best solution. During your development you will have learnt so much

How large is this code base? If you guys plan out enough, a complete overhaul might be the best solution. During your development you will have learnt so much that as a team you couldn't of had the forsight to know you were doing it wrong when starting out. If your startup can maybe spare 3 of your best developers for the development of your new platform that might be a better way to go. There comes a limit in the evolution and growth cycle when you realise that you can't keep adding and you need a new clean slate. A Second option might be to create your own DBAL. What is it about your data base calls that is innefficient. If possible, you might want to create your own DBAL with something like memcache paired with it in order to have frequent caching where possible. If the developers are dragging their heels and really don't like their development environment, you could think of it as a nice overhaul to boost team efficiency.