What are the Output Sharpening Controls (Beta)
What Ella’s new Output Sharpening controls do — and when to use them → where the controls live, what they actually change, and how they interact with your existing plays and content.
What are Output Sharpening controls?
A new beta feature that lets you shape how Ella packages her outputs. Same intelligence, different format — depending on what you’re going to do with the output.
You’ll see new controls in the chat box (and in Playbooks), marked with a beta badge. Under the hood, they adjust two things: Reasoning (how much of Ella’s thinking you see) and Verbosity (how much space the ideas get).
What do the different options do?
Each option shapes two things:
- How much strategic reasoning is visible
- How much detail is included
In practical terms:
- If you’re making a decision, you’ll want the reasoning laid out concisely.
- If you’re onboarding a new partner, you’ll want the full narrative that stands on its own.
- If you’re briefing a writer, you just need the answers.
The controls are designed around these kinds of real moments in your workflow — not abstract “short vs. long” preferences.
Do I need to set these every time?
No.
Ella will continue to use sensible defaults without you doing anything. You only need to change the settings when you want something different from the default.
Most people won’t touch them often. They’re there for the moments when output shape really matters.
Will shorter output be lower quality?
No.
The strategic intelligence is the same across all modes. A concise output isn’t Ella thinking less. It’s Ella trusting that you already have the context and delivering the answers with confidence.
Think of it as the difference between:
- a consultant walking you through every step of their reasoning, and
- that same consultant handing you the recommendation because you’re ready to move.
Same brain. Different packaging.
Will this change my existing outputs?
No.
Your existing plays and playbooks continue to work exactly as they do now. Output controls only apply when you choose to use them.
Nothing changes unless you change it.
What about finished content like emails or ad copy?
These controls are designed for strategy outputs — positioning, personas, competitive analysis, brand narratives.
Finished marketing content (emails, ad copy, social posts) is a different kind of output with different needs. We’re working on that separately.
Is this final?
No. This is a beta, and we mean it.
We’re testing:
- whether these controls are useful, and
- whether they’re shaped the right way (names, options, defaults, behavior).
Any of that could change based on what we learn from how you use them.
How do I give feedback?
Use the feedback option in the app after running a play with Output Sharpening turned on. Tell us:
- What worked
- What didn’t
- What you wish was different
We may also reach out directly to hear more about your experience. Your feedback is what turns this beta into something that ships for real.