I have missed the boat on the Filecoin "ICO", as did everyone who could not (for some would not) provide proof of +1 million dollars of net worth. Filecoin, as well as the mining protocol, are still months out from being released. I'm sure they are diligently working on it...
All jokes aside, I believe that those at Protocol Labs are acting on their intentions. Unlike many of the ICOs, their concept and praxis seem well thought out, and more importantly, is needed. More decentralization of storage and less trust in third party custodians.
Think of it as the 'Airbnb of hard space' ... you are able to 'rent' what extra storage space you have on your computer...
Their concise 36-page whitepaper has left me re-reading it again and again... Start here:
https://filecoin.io/filecoin.pdf
The best of luck in all of your ventures!