As an indie hacker you do user research before jumping to development. How do you present yourself?

I am about to launch a user research poll related to a project that's still in the 'idea' phase, so referring to it as a 'pilot project' would be an exaggeration. For obvious reasons, I don't want to associate my personal or my company's name with it. How do you all present yourselves in similar situations? Do you adopt the persona of humble students seeking assistance with research for a term project? Any other tips or insights are greatly appreciated.