I can say I share the same feelings and thoughts as @fibric. One year ago, I joined the website, still named devmag.io, with the intention - to gain an inspiration for a project I was developing using Material Design (devmag.io was using Material Design).
What made me stay? The community! I had never found a place, where people were so friendly, open-minded and helpful at the same time. The positivism, eagerness for new knowledge and ability to meet and chat with one of the best developers from around the world... it felt like I was in heaven. I've met so much wonderful and inspirational developers - @fibric, @JanVladimirMostert, @Innocent ,the whole Hashnode team - @sandeep, @fazlerocks, @mayank, @alkshendra, @prank7 and I'm still missing a lot of awesome people.
How to get the most value out of Hashnode? - Be part of the community! Ask questions, answer questions, write stories, share links. My first two months here were basically sharing links I had found across Internet, then I started answering questions and sharing knowledge. The whole process made me not only a better developer, but a better person.
Being part of Hashnode was the best decision I had ever made! Heck, I even got a job offer from a company that I will be working for, thanks to my Hashnode activity and contribution (I will probably write a story about it in the near future). This is the real power of Hashnode. It can literally change you and open you new doors and opportunities you haven't even imagine.
So, contribute a little everyday, one step at a time. You will see the better you in no time. Oh, and be prepared - it's really, really addictive!
The begining of your text paints a really nice environment. Thanks for sharing!