Customers who face the same general needs of the marketplace but are likely to experience them months or years earlier than the rest of the market and stand to benefit disproportionately from solutions to those needs are referred to as

As lead users.

Explanation:

“Lead user” is a term used in Marketing as tool for market research; it was developed in 1986 by Dr. Eric von Hippel, to refer to a customer that get in first hand new products before it goes in the market and get known by the general public. Using such tool is an advantage for companies or organizations who seek to develop breakthrough products.

just don't strip down in public lol