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"Good ideas" can come from a variety of sources of inspiration. But according to Bryce Roberts, the Managing Director of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, "disruptive ideas" in technology often come from "hobbyists, hackers, and alpha geeks." In a blog post today, Roberts lays out some of the investment themes and signals that are of particular interest to him and his partners, Mark Jacobsen and Tim O'Reilly.

The New York tech scene is hot right now. Business Insider argued last week that "if your startup can't get money in New York right now, there's something wrong with it." And just as investors are ready to inject cash into local startups, a group of local startups are looking to inject some more hackers into the scene.

Their plan: Adopt a Hacker.

Adopt a Hacker is a not-for-profit organization that hopes to bring hackers from outside the metropolitan New York area into the city. Hacker Hosts open their homes to visitors, giving them a place to crash for a few days. But it's more than just a way to save money while checking out New York City. By staying with someone connected to the startup community, it's a great way to get an introduction into it.