Most people are only looking at the current coin price and really know nothing about the different altcoins out there. As with most investments or businesses, the best thing is to understand the underlying technology behind the coin and whether the team behind the coin is actually skilled enough to execute. Any coin that has carved out a market and actually has a purpose for existence will survive through the 'pump and dumps' from speculators and will gain value from its users when they solve the problem that its users are facing.