Yes, by default it's unusable. You have to read the docs, check out other people's configs. It becomes a whole rabbit hole when all I wanted to do was make a list.
I used org-mode for note-taking in its default configuration for about 10 years before I started customizing it. I found it quite useful. I suspect its utility without customization may vary from use-case to use-case, or perhaps from person to person.
Lately I just use a big Markdown file. That's been pretty nice, but I haven't been at it long enough to be able to endorse it strongly.
That's a tad unfair. Yes, you will have to read the documentation [1], at least the first few sections, before anything will make sense. But "Making a list" is literally the first topic covered after the introduction. ("Headlines", but that's the first type of list you'll ever use.)
I agree if you decide to put some big chunk of your life into Org, you'll either find yourself reading the rest of those chapters, or copying/writing your own customizations, or both. That's where the rabbit hole starts.
