...
PS: And there was no ICO.

honestly speaking this argument does not work. there is 10s of coins with one man show , delisted, slow development etc. bytecent, ignis, partly pdc , etc
so, that valid for you also "investor"

we are probably in the same boat. not sure if that is right decision to invest into huge idea with small budget
In fact ICOs are great, especially if the developer team is compose of the right people, people that are reputable in the field of blockchain technology. ICOs with the right team ensures commitment and they would not be bogged down with family or financial problems which is the case for many personally-funded projects or projects with pre-mine.