In some sense, what adds value can often be distilled down to whether something "entertains" us, or doesn't. Take a Steemian like @mynameisbrian... he does one thing, but he does it really well and he is liked and broadly followed. He adds value in the sense that people check in regularly to see what he's done lately.

Sometimes it's almost easier to define what does NOT add value. And for me, that's a lot of the purchased upvote stuff. We operate under the illusion that "worthwhile" content will have more comments and votes... but when I discover that something "popular" is actually a piece of garbage that has only been self-promoted, then that adds a layer of frustration... a "negative user experience."

I really enjoy foraging/homesteading posts... I often get really good ideas and inspiration; and I like that there is quite a bit of choice.