Masto wouldn't scare off so many people, if the simpler online interface was the default, instead of the "advanced" one.
Wouldn't it make more sense to let a new user start with the twitter/bluesky-similar layout, and then let them switch to the column version later, if they want?
Most people I know who immediately abandoned Masto didn't have the time or patience to discover you could switch it off in preferences. They just took one look and bailed.