As a veteran semiconductor executive, John Croteau is a self-described "hardware guy." But that didn't stop him from persuading the founders of Pison Technology from switching from hardware to software when he joined as CEO three years ago.

Dexter Ang and David Cipoletta founded the Boston firm eight years ago with a goal of creating a wearable device that measures brainwaves, at first to help with neurodegenerative disorders but then later for monitoring athletic performance and worker fatigue, among other functions. (Ang's mother had ALS, and he named Pison after her cat.) Croteau, a former chief executive of chip maker MACOM Technology Solutions, advised the Pison cofounders to work on the software instead, to ensure the technology would get a wider distribution.