Last spring was marked by a flurry of high-profile IPOs, which have turned into wild rides for many early investors over the past year. Facebook (META -1.42%), Zynga, and Groupon (GRPN 4.36%) all garnered unprecedented levels of hype surrounding their initial public offerings, and eager investors clamored to get in on the action. Now, it's worth asking: Was it worth it?

Today we look back on The Motley Fool's unorthodox approach to helping the world invest better in IPOs, and then size up how some of those stocks have fared since going public.