How to deal with dissatisfaction with my performance review?

From the promotion perspective, unfortunately, there's not much you can do. You're at a series C company, so maybe the processes are not as rigid as Big Tech and you could ask for an out-of-cycle promotion. But that is very unlikely.

A more likely outcome (but still unlikely) is to ask for a compensation increase despite not getting a promotion. See this video for more details on that. Your peers and manager think you are performing at the next level -- do you have data to suggest that you're being underpaid? That would help in making an argument.

The best way to gain leverage here is through a competing offer that pays you more. Phrase it like this:

A recruiter reached out to me, I decided to learn more, and I ended up getting an offer. Turns out, this offer is much more than my current compensation. I really like the work I do here, but I also want to ensure I'm fairly compensated. How might we bridge the gap?

If you're well-liked and important, your company may give you a counteroffer. (Note that some companies like Meta also explicitly do not give out counteroffers.)

Amazon actually had a formal term for this called "dive and save". I'd do this only if you are truly ok with leaving your company for another opportunity -- you don't want your bluff to be called and then get stuck.

Resources on negotiation:

• 3 powerful tips on negotiation
• The key insight behind negotiation