Some years ago, while I was actively buying altcoins, I only kept track of the project until it finally got listed. I prefer to buy from newly listed companies than from ICOs. There is a high chance that you can buy a token for $5 during an ICO, and the project might make a promise stating that the listing price of that token would be $10, but just a few minutes after listening, you will see the same token or coin trading below $2, whereas you actually bought $5 during their ICO.
Some people have actually made a great loss by investing during an ICO, while others have also made a profit from it. But the fact is that investing during an ICO doesn't guarantee 100% profit; you could still be unlucky and experience a heavy loss.
I still remember one coin called the VENICE coin. During their ICO the coin was sold for about $10, during IEO the it was sold for $15, and so many investors who thought that the project was worth it invested a huge amount of money, but when the coin got listed, it was listed in the range of $5. You can now see the current price below.
I am not in any way promoting this shit coin
, just using it to set an example.