Look at it this way; If I asked you to invest in my company that had some great projects in the works that will make us billions would you give me a billion dollar valuation right away or would you want to come in at a more sensible valuation because we are so early on? You're not going to make an investment based on what it could be, you will invest on what it is.
In Spanish, the words for "inversion" and "investment" are the same. Makes sense, because when making an investment you are giving away your money with no immediate benefit, hoping for more in the future. You are not buying what it is, but what you think it will be.