NXT its top performer was a hodl of over 4 years though, and that list is only a handfull in comparison to the amounts of ICOs we're seeing and are upcoming. You either will have to really know what you're doing and do massive amounts of research finding that one thing you're looking for or become really lucky. Seems like platforms and chains where dapps and other chains can be built on are most succesfull though.

If you really believe you got a golden ticket, sit on it for 5 years. 5 years is a long time though in crypto and you could potentially miss out on other very lucrative ventures such as sticking with BTC instead.