Personally I haven't tried investing in any ico yet. All I did was participate in bounty campaigns and that's the way I have made money. Although I am considering on trying to invest on ico and test my luck there. The only thing that has been keeping me from doing it is those news of many scam icos. I am scared of taking the risk.
Yes, I'm a novice too. I'm working hard to get an income through signature activities, and I'm also getting a deeper understanding of the ICO project and looking for projects with great potential.