(CNN) -- Google+ has a problem. It's not engagement or the lack of a clear way to monetize itself. It's not those sometimes-unwieldy friend-organizing circles, or even the perception that no one other than nerds uses the service. The problem, its creators believe, is that many people keep comparing it to Facebook -- or, more broadly, social networks. While social interaction is a key part of Google+, the project is much more ambitious. Google+ is nothing short of a wholesale upgrade to all of Google's products and services, but with the identity of the user incorporated. Mashable sat down with Vic Gundotra, Google's senior vice president of social business, and Bradley Horowitz, Google+'s vice president of product, at the Google I/O developer conference. They were excited about the new Google+ features that were announced -- the Events feature and the new tablet app -- but they were also quick to downplay any comparisons to Facebook, or any suggestion that many people aren't interested in joining Google+.Google+ creator says the site shouldn't be compared to Facebook and TwitterVic Gundotra says Google's social tool is meant to enhance other Google offeringsVideo-chat Hangouts have been a highlight for Google+
This week at I/O, Gundotra revealed that "active" users of _ spend an average of 12 minutes in the stream, up from 9 minutes three months ago. Horowitz believes as more users "upgrade" to _ — which essentially just means letting Google know who you are — it'll become clear to them that Google's many services become much more useful. Horowitz believes as more users "upgrade" to Google+ — which essentially just means letting _ know who you are — it'll become clear to them that Google's many services become much more useful. "We don't serve ads [on _], but that doesn't mean we won't have sponsored stories," he says. To some, Google+ made too many stumbles along the way to become a real _ competitor. Both Facebook and _ want you to spend your time on their site, not the other's. But the social component is incredibly powerful, and in that aspect _ is king (Facebook's engagement numbers are massive compared to Google+ — the stream, anyway).